The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-11
New Policy Not So Radical as
 Has Been Reported
STATE ID HAVE SUPERVISION
Representatives of the T. C., I. G R.. R., the sIoss-sheffleId and Other Companies VIII Attend Formal
 Conference In Montgomery.

As the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road company and the sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company each employs large number of convicts in their coal mines under 3-years' lease which ex- pires January l. 1903 the announcement fin the newspapers that the governor and the state board of convict inspectors had practically decided that the leases would not be renewed on the old conditions na- turally caused the companies named to ask, what does 1t mean?
 J. c. Maben, president of the Sloss- Sheffield company, John P. Tilman att torney for the Sloss, and Walker Percy attorney for the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company, visited Montgomery for the purpose of seeing Governor Jelks and members of the board and acquaint- ing themselves with the fact in relation to the proposed new order. Others who went to Montgomery to inform themselves concerning the situation were H. l.. Bad ham, president of the Bessemer Land and Improvement company; T. T. Hill- man, Erskine Ramsay, and G. B. McCor- mick.
 All of the Birmingham men returned last night. They will return on Saturday for a formal conference with the gover- nor and the officials of the convict bu- resu.
 Montgomery Special.
 Last night the Age-Herald's corre- spondent at Montgomery telegraphed the following:
 "A delegation of Birmingham mine oper- ators came down on the first train this morning to see more about the proposed revolution in the convict system. They were president Maben, of the Sloss-Shef- field company; T. T. Hillman, Erskine Ramsay, director of the Tennessee; Walk CT Percy, attorney of the Tennessee; MT. Jones Moore, of the Southern railway and Henry Badham. of the Bessemer company. John P. Tillman, of the Sloss company, was already here. The Bir- mingham party saw the governor only few moments at the depot as he went south on the train on which they arrived. It is not known where the governor has gone, but he will be away for several days. The delegation then went to the capitol and saw the convict bureau offl- cials, and were told to come back Satur- day for a general conference which has been postponed from Thursday to that day. They got nothing from the officials except a reiteration of the statements already made that a change would be put into effect.
 Unexpected Policy.
 ''The visiting operators did not talk for publication but were privately free in ex- pressing their opinion of the unexpected revolution One of them expressed the view that the operators would under no circumstances turn their mines over to the state or anybody else. The mines could be ruined in a day and the oper- ator have no recourse. What seemed to arouse some ire among them was the thing beng so unexpected. MT. Tillman attorney of the Soss company, was here on Saturday and saw the officials at the capitol and consulted with them particu- larly about the precise kind of bid they wanted, as he desired to guard against any lack of formality and any slip through technicality.
 "Tne officials express indifference as to what the mine operators may do about it. They have no doubt of making sue cess of mine operations on the University or Montevallo lands. There is all sorts of gossip about the revolution in policy among the public, the chief criticism be- ing as to the number of new jobs 1t would create. However, there has always been a large section of public opinion that opposed working of convicts in the mines at all, and this is gratified at the proposition. The visiting operators do not seem to have given up hope that the governor may recede from his announced determination. but this feeling finds no echo among those who know Governor JeIks best, and who say that having made up his mind on it, the thing is as good as done"
 The Outlook.
 MT. Maben and the others, who re- turned from Montgomery last night, seemed fairly well pleased with the out look.
 Mr. Maben remarked that the newspa per accounts of the new policy" were exaggerated. The idea or plan of the convict board was nothing like so radical as had been reported, he said.
 Briefly stated the officials at Montgom- cry insist on direct supervision of the convicts, to which, 1t Is understood. the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad com pany and the Sheffield company will offer no objection. They all ask for an advance in the price paid by the oper- ators.
 The convicts at the mines are graded according to their strength and ability. s14 month being the highest price now paid to the state, S the lowest; the