The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-28
MAY GIVE UP COTTON MILL LeSSeeS of States Prop
 erty Dissatisfied. THEY WANT CONCESSIONS Clark & Co. Tired of Contract
 at Speigner's. President of the Convict Board Thinks Factory Can Be operat-
 ed by the Department at
 at Profit.

Clark & O., the Georgia cotton mill firm which has been operating the States cotton mill at Speigner's. has notified the State Board of Convict Inspectors that unless certain concessions are granted them, they do not care to renew their contract with the State. which expires July l.
 What additional concessions the Geor- gia firm desires has not been made pub lie.
 The Governor and the State Board of Convict Inspectors will pass upon Clark & Co.'S proposition for a better contract between now and July l. It will then be known whether Clark 6 Co will continue to operate the mill or whether it will be run under different management. There are little, if gay, prospects that the mill will be idle. IT Clark & Co. do not care to renew the lease, new lessees of the property will he secured. Clark & Co.,, 1t Is authoritatively stated, do not insist that the mill was run at a loss. The firm does insist. however. that the mill did not pay the profits that was expected of it.
 The cotton mill at Speigner's was built and equipped several years ago. It was fitted up with, at that time, the latest machinery. The mill was operated by the State with convict labor for some time after its completion. It was, how- ever finally shut down and the state ment has been made that at that time the State reaped no profit from the oper- alton of the mill. At any rate, the mill was shut down and the machinery was idle.
 Two years ago, during the administra- ton of Governor Sanford, the mill was leased to Clark & Co.,. a firm which had successfully operated cotton mill at Augusta, Ga. The firm leased the mill with all its machinery from the State. At the same time Clark & Co. leased sev- enty-ffve of the weaker convicts to do the labor In the mill. These convicts were mostly women, and men incapacitated for hard labor. For each of these con- victs the State received $l0 a month The State clothed and guarded the convicts employed in the mill.
 These cOnvicts have become skilled in their work. Their proficiency in the tasks in the cotton mill Is an additional reason why the mill should not be idle. If the mill is Idle, these convicts will be or little use. If any. to the State.
 It Is practically certain that should no other experienced cotton mill men offer to lease the men, that the State will take cnarge of 1t and run 1t as a State in- stitution.
 The high price of cotton Is supposed to have cut into the profits of Clark Ss Co and Induced them to make the request for additional concessions.
 The position of the State officials as to the cotton mill matter was made clear last night in statement made by Judge J. M. Carmichael, President of the State Board of Convict Inspectors.
 Judge Carmichael said:
 It Is not at all certain that the mill is to be shut down and remain idle. and that the mill has not been run without pront: Clarke X Co. do not insist that the mill has been run at a loss but they in sist that their profits have not been as large as they think they ought to have been, nor as large as their mill in. Au- gusta, Ga. They indicated clearly at the time they exercised their option of mak- ing their contract two instead of A three years one. that with a certain concession they would still retain the mill The mill has been run with no great profit to the state but with at least some profit added to reasonable rent for the property.
 IT the Governor and the Board should De unwilling to make any concession 1t is not improbable that the mill might he let 10 some other experienced mill man, and If this cannot be done, the State might operate the mill itself and the fact. if if be so, that the State has not heretofore operated the property to an advantage does not necessarily argue that it cannot be done hereafter.
 There are something like seventy-ffve convicts in the mill at this time, well or ganized and most of them skilled in their tasks. and anxious that the mill should continue to run. These facts, and they are facts, show that the contract. such as Messrs Clark & Co. now Have. is a desir- able one. It follows therefore that 1t is by no means certain that the mill will remain idle for a single day
 If. however, no one should take the mill. and the Governor and the Board should not conclude to run 1t for the State, the operatives now in the mill will be put on the farms in the place of men who can do good work at saw mills and in the mines at first class prices and so result in decided benefit to the State"