The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-02
WILL DOUBLE REVENUE
|C0nvicts Will Be on a Free
 Labor Basis.
Tennessee Coal and Iron Company and sloss-shefaeld Company Sue ce-sful Bidders-Former
 Company Will Get
 Majority of Men.

Under the terms of a contract signed last night the State of Alabama will re- ceive 73 cents a ton for every ton of coal mined by State convicts for the Tennes- see Coal and Iron Company.
 Under the provisions of the same con- tract the Tennessee Coal and Iron Com- pany will get majority of the State convicts it for the mines, not less than 100.
 The remaining convicts 1t for employ ment in or about the mines will be leased to the sloss-S Sheffield Coal and Iron Com pany on a free labor basis at a price not yet made public. The contract with the Sloss-Sheffield Company was not entered into yesterday but its terms were agreed upon. Unless some unforeseen contingency arises the contract will be entered into today or tomorrow.
 The contract made yesterday between the State officials and the representatives of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company and the contract which will be made to- day or tomorrow with the Sloss-Sheffield Coal and Iron Company differs in one essential particular. The coal mined by
  Iron Company will be delivered at the railroad cars or as the miners express it, on the tipple. while the contract with the s-Sheffield people will call for its de- livery at the mouth of the room where the convicts are at work.
 Will Double Convict Revenue.
 The prico which will be paid by zthe Sloss- Sheffield Company for the Coal nifIed by the convicts per. ton will neces- sarily be smaller than that named in the contract with the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company for the delivery of the coal on the cars.
 Governor Jelks said last night that the contract with the Sloss Company would be fully as advantageous to the State as that entered into with the Tennessee Company yesterday.
 "A conservative estimate of the con- kracts," said Governor Jelks last night. promises to the State revenue from khe convicts to be employed in the mines for the coming year not less than double that of last year. For the year just closed the State received from its con yicts leased in the mines about SsO,OOO. an amount which will probably be doubled under the new conditions"
 The contract with the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company was signed last night at o'clock after a long conference be- tween Governor Jelks, President J. M. carmiohael Associate Inspector Thomas Bradford and Physician Inspector Shirley Bragg for the State with representatives Inf the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company and the Sloss-shefield Steel and Iron Company.
 For the mining companies the confer ence was attended by President J. c. Maben and Attorney Walker Percy of the aloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Company and Attorney John P. Tillman and Super ntendent P. J. Rogers and Thomas c. CuIverhouse of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company.
 pr. Russell M. Cunningham, Lieutenant Governor elect, who was during his ser vice in the Legislature deeply interested n matters pertaining to the improvement of inc condition of The convicts was at the capitol during the conference as was State Senator Jones G. Moore. They were not, however. present at the com Terence.
 Convicts on Free Labor Basis.
 The details of both contracts were care kullv gone over and the contract with the Tennesee Coal and Iron Company was satisfactory to both the State onicials land the officers of the company This Contract was executed. The State officials land the representatives of the Sloss-Shef-  he exception of few minor details. on contract which will in all probability he executed today or tomorrow.
 While the full contract which was sign, ed with the Tennessee Company was not made public last night, its details wer' freely discussed by the State officials Il E differs only in a few minor details from the conditions contained in the proposa which was submitted to the mining com nanies November IS. The declared pur nose of the State administration in thi' nronosal was to put the convicts on th' hasis of free miners. as regards their la hor The State is to furnish tools. ex nlosives and such other things as art furnished by free miners and the Stat' ts to have entire charge of the feeding o,othinz and maintenance of the convicti Including the care of the ill., The Stat is 10 otherwise have charge of them il and out the mines and to work them b! its own agents -
 The contracting companies are to fur .,sb the tramways cars and hoisting ma nhinerv and such other machinery as the!
 a.,. cornish to free miners. The State il 4o have It's own pit bosses, subject to tn aenaraI direction of the companys minlnI engineer. -,.,. .ha hospitals, the equipment for the nos nitals beds and bedding TOT the cohVlotn
 Under the terms of this proposal tn m bids were submitted, the contract or lh Ten,aseee T.~s Company was executed las Hh+ and the contract with the Sloss sbefseId ,saf Company agreed upon.
 Ten Bids Were Submitted.
 The bids for the leasing of convicts un lI < N+ tnis proposal were submitted to tn Administration adI mist officials, The bidders wer the Tennessee Coal and Iron co, ComPanS pan, ,. e,as the Pratt Coal Company, the Bes sar1sr pams, Iand and Improvement Company inc b,s'' Tutwiler Coal and Iron Company the @ Little Cahabas Coal Company. T. H and @ W W. M. Spencer, coal operators an A. J. Reilly agent for certain coal com panles. Two bids were suonnt.ea Dy , .n Besseruer Land and Improvement Com pand and a tenth bid was sent in by unknown mining company. The bids wer