The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-16

conclusions. 1t appears that as a rule
| two or three houses in each line have
| been patronized and there is no evidence
| to bid. Some twenty-five thousand dollars
| worth of supplies are purchased annually
| by the State. This patronage should not
| be confined to any small number of firms
| without permitting other houses to sub
| NIT bids at least for purposes OF COMPARE
| son.
According to the testimony of some of
| the witnesses the management Of this
| part of the business seems to have been
| in the hands of President Trap acting
| usually on the advice of Governor John-
ston.
| The cotton factory was completed about
four years ago. 1t is a magnificent plant
| and furnishes employment to number OF
| women, children and inefficient men who
are not fit for other work. To sell it
| would be to place large number of en-
| ployes in close proximity to the prison
| at Speigner. This would no doubt be
| constant source of friction.
Your committee is of the opinion that
If this mill were managed with any de-
| gree of skill 1t could not fail to be at
| least self sustaining.
| If the mill can be run without loss to
| the State it will pay handsomely to keep
| It for the sake of the employment fur
nished so large a class of the conV1cts.
Enforced ideness will cause both the
minds and the bodies of the convictS to
deteriorate and will make our peniten-
tiaries schools of vice and nurseries or
criminals.
For these reasons your committee re-
| spectfully recommends that the cotton
| mill be retained.
In Justice to the incoming administra-
| ton your Committee desires to call at
| tention to the fact that for the last four
| years repairs and improvements on the
State property have been made only IN
| hon
were burned and have been rebuilt by the
il surance. Needful repairs have been
neglected. Vacant prison No. 2, SpetSner,
has deteriorated from want of proper at
tention. The stockade at Speigner is be-
coming dilapidater Repairs are badly
needed here and at the other prisons as
well. Nowhere does the old adage OF IA
stitch in time saves nine" find better ap-
pliCation than in needed repairs for the
State property.
One of the chief aims of the admins
tTation for the last four years seems TO
have been to make as large a financial
showing as possible.
In making comparisons between TINS
and preceding administrations 1t should
be borne in mind that cost bills have been
reduced nearly one-half since about 1891,
thus removing in part heavy drain upon
the finances of the system.
The cotton mill, the farm improvements,
and prisons, were received four years ago
from the outgoing ADMINISTRATION in a
GOOD state OF repair, -ndIY DClLulnBS ne
ing absolutely new. The wear and tear
of the last four years hassvnot been re-
paired. The incoming administration will
Immediately incur heavy expenses on
this account. which in justice ought to
be charged up against the administration
of the last four years
Some years ago there seems to have
been a stir about convict labor, and
much complaint from various sources
about the lease system. A policy was
mapped out looking to the ultimate aban-
donment of the lease system. All ccnvicts
were to be gradually withdrawn from
contractors and employed In industries
under State control.
In line with this policy farms were pur-
chased and the cotton mill started. Rea-
sc nable progress was being made toward
an ultimate abandonment of the lease
system. But on the accession of the adj
ministration four years ago, the lease
system seems to have been regarded with
great favor, the mill was run only about
one-half the time and the farms were
half manned and poorly managed. The
plan seems to have been to put nearly ev-
cry available man out on contract in or
der to make as large financial showing
as possible.
Official recommendations are made to
sell the most valuable farms and the
mill. Indeed, one is forced to the con-
clusion that the management of these in
situations for the last four years has
been such as to lend plausibiity to these
recommendations.
The Inauguration of a far sighted poll
cy by one administration, and the total
but result in harm to the State. Some
fixed policy should be determined on and
carried out.
After a careful consideration Of the sub
ject your Committee respectfully recon-
mend that all convicts at the walls who
are able to work be required to engage
in such employment as they are capable
of performing. All the State farms should
be retained and improved. They should
be furnished enough conVicts classed for
that kind of labor to insure the best pos
slhle returns.
The cotton mill should be retained by
the State should be run all the time as
nearly at it's full capacity as Is consis-
tent with good business management, and
should furnish employment to as many
convicts suited for that work-women es-
pecially-as its capacity allows.
The brick yard at Speigner was aban-
doned about four years ago and all the
valuable machinery of the plant has been
permitted to go to ruin. No reason can
be assigned Tor TINS action, since the in
dustry seems to have paid handsomely
under the former administration. Your
Committee recommends the revival Of
this industry under the State control
The remainder of the conviCts should be
leased until that future period when the
State is able and desires to abandon
wholly the lease system. From all the
information obtainable the Committee is
or the opinion that IL Is better for the
State and Infinitely better for the con-
victs that when leased they be leased
in large numbers and recommends that
hereafter no contract be made for less
than 100 conVicts. Small contractors can
not afford to give the same attention to
sanitary regulations. medical attention
and other important questions that large
concerns can.
Your Committee believes that the adop-
ton OF recommen lations herewith made
ana the rigid enforcement Of existing
statutes on the subject, will give the
State OF Alabama the best results from