The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-30
A Table.

Against this total of 1854 under the
Tennessee company's classification bid,
Mr.. Bradley presented a total of $6746
that would have come In 1903 If the Sloss-
Sheffield Hat bid of s21.l5 had been in
effect. This is the way he figured 1t out;
1913 convicts at $21.15 a month for each
convict would be $2115 multiplied by 31e,
ard that makes $6746 a month"
Then he dropped the multiplication bus
mess and made this little excursion into
the mysteries of subtraction
III you take this s67l6 of the Sloss-
Sheffield company and subtract from 1t
the $5s44 of the Tennessee company you
will have left s9O2-s902 a month";"
Then he drew on the multiplication ia
BILE again. Multiply 902 by IL and you'd
get so much for a year, and then null
tiply the so much by 1.-The number OF
years-and you'd have more than $4,000.
Was the board going to reject the Sloss-
Sheffield fat bid and thereby lose the
county more than $4,000? asked Mr..
Bradley was the board really going to
do that?
Perish the thought
And that wasn't ALL said Mr.. Bradley
Captain Crook had said word about
humanity and more than a word about
justice! Humanity Was it humane to
pay a hardened, incorrigible criminal $2b
a month and pay women and boys, who
had been convicted merely of misdemean-
ors only $40 a month? Why, continued
Mr.. Bradley, the Sloss-S Sheffield bid prac-
tically placed a premium on criminal skill
and criminal experience. Mr. Bradley
then marshalled the Alabama Reports"
the Alabama supreme court and every
consideration of humanity, Justice and
law and made all these right dress" and
forward march In front of the board
e . Taff "a
he spoke of the law" he made one think
of Ellen Terrys Portia. When he spoke
of humanity a vision of Florence Night
ingale fluttered before members of the
board. His compliments to Justice
brought the blinded lady, scales in hand,
vividly up before all who heard the
words.
Mr.. Percy.
Then Mr.. Bradley sat down and Walker
Percy got up. He began to polish off Mr..
Bradley breezily. Mr.. Bradley's argument
was .'specious," he said. Mr. Bradley had
talked about morality" said Mr.. Percy.
Yes, morality. Wasn't 1t a little singular,
he asked, that a corporation with a rep
utation such as Mr.. Bradeys client has
in the community should fall back on
morality" Wasn't 1t trlfle humorous ?
asked Mr.. Percy And oh, he said,
how the Sloss company must suffer when
it thinks that women and children will
be paid only $40 under the Tennessee bldl
The Soss company had not, he pointel
out, paid cent to these women and
children and only $3.50 a, month to the
best convicts under the old contract.
Mr.. McGeeveTs Last Shot.
Mr. McGeever followed Mr.. Percy.
What l want to know" said he lis
this: If you're going to give this contract
to the Tennessee people, why do you let
EN- have it on what we have proved is
an $1S. 80 fiat bid, when they have already
offered to pay $20.25 fiat? II the Ten
nessee people must have it, why don't
you make them pay 800 % instead of
$1S 80 a month for each convict, regard
less of age, sex or condition? Why don't
your
Humanity and Justice" said Captain
Crook, rs my reason. / don't favor a
fiat bid from either company. I want the
classification bid, and the classification
bid of the Tennessee company is better
than the Sloss peoples classification bid
Then Captain Crook asked for vote
on his amendment. His request was
granted. the vote was taken and the re-
suit announced
The contract will be drawn by Walker
Percy counsel for the Tennessee com
pany. and j. II. Miller, attorney for the
board of revenue.
President Mabcn Talks.
1t was reported late yesterday after
noon that the Sloss-Sheffield company
might attempt to restrain the board OF
revenue from awarding the contract to
the Tennessee company. In response TO
an inquiry on this subject, President j. c.
Maben OF the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and
Iron company said
I'VE do not yet know exactly what we
shall do in the matter. | do not think we
are contemplating injunction proceedings,
| cannot tell yet whether or not we shall
accept the decision of the board as CON
clusive We have not yet determined what