The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-23

We are pleased to command Mir. Robertson for the very excellent ap- pearance of everything about the premises. believing that he is discharg- ing his duty as best he can with the means at hand.
 As to County Jail.
 We have carefully examined and in- spected the County jail. and find that the inmates are well-fed with good and wholesome food. as we'll as being properly cared for and upon special inquiry find that the health of the prisoners. as rule, is good. Remark ably so when we take into considera- ton that the impaired condition of the jail Is such that the contrary might be expected. We find the cages on the lower floor In bad condition and the ground on which they are built has set- tied down from eight to twelve inches making flushing and washing of same very difficult, and next to an impos- sibility to keep dry, as the water used for flushing and cleansing collects and stands inside of the cage. and has to be wiped up with, cloths. This condition lis brought about for reasons above stated.
 We are pleased to commend MT. remedied at once by the building up of asphalt floor of sufficient height to Jt that the water will run into gutters around the cages for that purpose.
 We recommend also that some re- pairs or improvement be made on the second floor in the rear of the fail, next to the women's quarter, as the same Is unfit and unsafe for the se- curity of prisoners. This portion of the jail was formerly, as we are infor- med, intended and used for hospital purposes.
 We also recommend that the clos. cts inside the cells be repaired so that leaks in the connecting pipes should he stopped, and also that covers be attach ed to closets, to prevent the emission of odors from same
 We found that the sheriff and his deputies were exceedingly courteous and anxious to furnish your committee with all information desired that we may be able to furnish you an intelligent report of the condi- tion of the entire premises. We feel constrained to urge that our honorable Board of Revenue take immediate &C., ton with reference to bringing about such changes In the II as are pec- essary to make it secure and heaIthful for its inmates, and also to provide such additional room as may be nec- essary to accommodate those who are incarcerated there. We are pleased to report that thera Is diminution of crime in the com munity as evidenced by the fact that we have had much smaller number of cases before us for investigation at this sitting of the grand jury than seems to have existed formerly. This Is all the more remarkable, it seems to us, in view of the fact that we have had two circuses in the City of Mont evn ttrt, he which usually brings about an aggre- gation of evildoers and robbers. Finances of the County.
 After careful examination. we find the finances of the county in good shape, and the balances as shown by the books of the Board of Revenue agree with the amounts standing to the credit of the county treasurer at the First National Bank, statement of which follows:
 General fund on hand Oct. 1,
 1904 .................. .$S7, ,77S.0S Special land sale fund. ...... 1O9. .I6 Bridge and causeway fund. 15,s67 .S2 Excess tax sale fund. ....... 2i.0O
 s5s77s.o .os Cost and prosecution fund,
 overdrawn ...'...... 520 .12
 
 $o3,4oS.94
 There is a bonded debt of $35,O6o jail and court house bonds due 1907. bearing per cent interest. There 's also bonded indebtedness of $425, 900 due 1885. of road and bridge bonds bearing per cent interest.
 We are pleased to report that the road overseers from the various beats have made their reports. and the roads for the most part are In good condition. In Beat 15, however, the crossings of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad need to be repaired and we suppose that the railroad will make such improvements as are necessary when their attention is called to same. Tn Beat 8 MT. J. c. Higgins reports that there are two bridges in bad re- pair, and the same should be tm- proved at once, as there Is more or less danger attached to their present con- dition.
 "The time-h -honored custom of ap- pointing Committees from the grand jury to make an examination of tho books of the County officials seems to us to be nothing more nor less than a farce, for the reason that the time and labor that would be required to make an intelligent examination would in- volve a great deal more than 1t would be expected of any committee appoint ed from this body. Such examination is nothing more than a casual observ- ance of the records. As the State has already provided expert accountants who perform this duty, it seems who'll | ly unnecessary to tax the grand jury with a duty which Is so imperfectly | done.
 We have given a good portion of | our allotted time to the consideration l of the gaming evil. We are of the | firm opinion that 1t Is not only a wide- | spread evil, but growing one in this | County and city. We spared no effort | to find bills in cases that would war rant such action, but we have been seriously hampered by the difficulty in obtaining witnesses from whom we could procure competent testimony in many cases which passed under our scrutiny While we are convinced that gambling is being constantly car ried on In several prominent places in the city, we have been unable, through persons appearing before us, to estab fish this fact that would warrant con- viction.
 We believe that more stringent and feasible gambling laws are needed, but would not have your honor to accept this confession as an excuse or pallia- ton for non-enforcement of the laws already in existence We halieve tbat