The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-27

The Board of Revenue of Montgom-
 cry County. at its regular weekly l meeting yesterday. awarded the lease of the County convicts to the Tennes-
 see Coal, Iron and Railroad Company
 for s1s per capita per month for the
 year. beginning January 1. 1905.
 But one other bid was submitted to
 the Board. this being by the sloss-
 Shenield Steel and Iron Company.
 This corporations bid was s15.75 or
 just 25 cents less than the price to be
 paid by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and
 Railroad Company.
 This lease by the Board insures 0
 greater revenue than has ever been
 derived from the Montgomery County
 convicts. The price of $16 per capita
 is an even increase of $6. 50 over that
 of last year. the Tennessee Coal, Iron
 and Railroad Company having secured
 At the time the 1904 contract was
 awarded the Tennessee Coal, Iron and
 Railway Company was the only bid
 der.
 Twenty Reserved for Roads. A reserve clause was inserted in the
 contract yesterday by which the County will retain the right to the labor of twenty convicts for an ex- pertinent on the public roads of Mont gomery County. According to action by the Board a week ago few convicts will be worked on the road beginning next spring. This has been regarded by the Board as feasible.
 Representatives of both the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Company and the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company were present yesterday when the bids were opened. The bid of the | Sloss-Sheffield Company was submit l ted first. Its agent put a great deal l of emphasis on the commodious new convict quarters that his company has recently established under the direc- | tion of Dr. Shirley Bragg, the Physi- elan Inspector of the State Board ot Convicts. He guaranteed humane | treatment of the convicts and offered | to have a special passenger car at the | union station this morning to carry | the Board of Revenue to the mines of | the company in order that they might | choose the most suitable camp in their possession.
 The Tennessee Company's agent then
 accepted the floor for only a few min- utes and gave a brief summary of the | advantages their camps offered. He assured the Board that a careful ex- | animation of each convict would be | made with reference to his constitu- tion and if he appeared unfit, or was
 pronounced unit by a competent in- spector, for mining work, he would l be assigned to the surface.
 The exceedingly small difference be- | tween the figures of the bids submit | ted, proved the determining factor in | the minds of the Board members. The assurances of good treatment of the convicts and provisions for their com | fort appeared to be equal.
 The representative of the Sloss-Shef- | field Company told the Board that | while he regretted the failure to get | the contract for the convicts he was | glad to know that the bid of his com pany was instrumental in raising the price which will be paid by their com | petitor. He also assured the Board | that in case the bids were rejected for any reason which may develop his company would offer at least $1625 | for the convicts.
 Will Redeem Bonds.
 The Board of Revenue in addition to leasing future convicts yesterday is- sued an order for the redemption of a