The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-21

her legions. her battle axes and the tramp, tramp tramp of her armies than she did with the Capuan-wasnt It the Capuan? No. you're right. with the Ap- plan way. Can the convicts be proftably employed in constructing the county roads? Yes. sir. they can be- It all de- bends on the kind of man you have in charge of the work"
 B. M Allen, attorney at law:
 'Everybody stands pat on the good roads proposition. Everyone favors good roads. I think we ought to have state improvement of the roads. The thing ought to be systematized. A comprehen- slve plan should be devised that would embrace the whole state The work should be done by state authorities. Money necessary for the work should be collect ed by means of special direct tax. For reasons of weight I prefer not to discuss the convict lease question:
 J. T. Collins. attorney
 While I favor the improvement of our county roads. I do not sympathze with the movement to employ convict labor in prosecuting the work The experiment has been tried in many counties and never once with success. In Marengo county it failed completely and miserably. Eeon- omcaly considered, 1t a great deal more advantageous to the county to lease the eonvicts for work in the mines than it is to employ them in improving the county roads,"
 Mayor Drennen's Wheels.
 W. M. Drennen. the mayor of Birming- ham, in response to the inquiries whether or not he was in favor of good roads. locked his hands behind his head crossed his legs, fixed his quizzical black eyes on the newspaper man and said:
 i've got wheels In my head on that subject. That Is. some people say I have. And I'm not lying awake nights trying to deny the accusation either I wouldn't give hang for man who didn't have wheels in his head on some subject.
 "Yes. siree." said the mayor with an emphasis that made Judge Feagins re- sponse to the same question sound like q special plea in avoidance; "yes, siree. I am in favor of improving the roads. I want to see the towns and the cities improve their streets, and I want to sea the counties improve their roads and the state improve 'em and what Is more I am in favor of congress taking hold of this question and making liberal appro- rriatlons for the construction and main- tenance of a system of national high ways. That's what I think of this good roads improvement proposition.
 "You can make it just as stiff as you please. If you can find any words in the English, French, German, Italian, Scandinavian. Russian, Sanskrit, Chinese. Japanese, Hindoonese or er-er-er what do you call those fellows out wonder in the Philippines? Tagalog-that's it-in the Tagalog language that will express my views more emphatically I shall thank you to employ them.
 The Convicts.
 "On this convict lease question. all I have to say is that I am in favor of having 100 convicts put at work on tho roads of Jefferson county for a period of not less than one year"
 J. Rivers Carter.
 Here Is what J. Rivers Carter, civil engineer said
 "The dlsheartening feature about work ing convicts on the county roads is that in many cases the results have not been satisfactory. Whether or not there is some inherent weakness in the plan am not prepared to state. I only know that experience along that line in various sec- tions of the state is discouraging
 Tn spite of this fact. however, am inclined to think that the system should be given trial in this county if only for experimental purposes. I should favor making an experiment. for at least one year in employing not less than 100 convicts in work on the county roads. My views In favor of the good roads movement are so well known that I need | not ottap,pt tn acoantuafa thar,