The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-02
CONNECTS WORKED
 THANKSGIVING DAY
Carmichael is Shocked at Ols-
 regard of Law
TO MAKE INVESTIGATION
President of Convict Board Figures That the Returns From convlets Could Pay State Debt In
 Few Years.

Montgomery, December 1.-(Special,)- In his quarterly report made to the act ing governor today, Judge J. M. carmi- chael. president of the state convict board, shows with proper appropriation of the money now made by the oonvicts of the state. and with conditions re- maining practically what they are at this time, the state debt could be paid off in twenty-five years. He also says that from contracts made since his semi-an- nual report in August, the state will realize ss0.O0o a year gross or s6O'0oO year net. He also touched up some of the contractors because they did not let the convicts under their control have hol- iday on Thanksgiving, which the law prescribes, saying T am sorry to say, however, that several. in violation of the law, and influenced by an unbecoming greed, employed those in their service to work on Thanksgiving day, not fur nishing them anything extra for dinner on that day. As soon as 1 can find myself conservative enough to use such language as ought to be used, I mean to take this matter up with these money-making peo- pie. It never occurred to me until after Thanksgiving day had passed, that we had to do with any people who would utterly disregard the law, but the infor- nation has come to me in relation to their conduct, and I confess that was shocked by it,
 Contract Made.
 President Carmichael tells of one con- tract made with N A. Thaggard of, Golf fee county for turpentine work. He is to pay $25 per month for the men. house and feed not only the convicts but the guards, the department clothing, guarding and caring for the prisoners. Contracts are made with the Hand Lumber company at Dolive and the Horseshoe Lumber. com pany at River Falls, at practically the same terms and at the same price. In each of these the state will receive $112h per day each man. Contracts have also been made with others for convicts to work on farms al $9 per month straight. These are convicts who are not suitable Tor mine work. 1t Is not practicable for the state to control them for obvious req sons important of which Is the fact that there are so few of them that the ex- pense would be in excess of tho returns.
 Pay of State Debt.
 After roting that these several contracts will ressIt in gross returns to the state of 800, )10 per annum, of $60,0o0 net, the president of the board goes on, to talk of the idea that in the course of a few
 
 be eno..gh to pay off the state debt. He says that such a thing has been mem toned Q him by friend, whereupon he began 10 think he says, and the re- suit of his thinking was that "the con- vict department has been kept up since the organization of the penitentiary many years ago, and considerable ex- pense, and the state could and did for a large portion of the time, get along without the money received through tho convict department, and could do so again if the conditions of the country should remain substantially unchanged for a period of twenty or twenty-five years, and the legislators when they come together. should talks such steps as would appropriate the fund realized from the deIal tment, in installments, as they were earned, to the discharge of the state deb+. Instead of some job of interest to sons particular locality, 1t seems to me that the state debt would be paid in that time As it Is now the earn ings of ,Le convict department are great ly in excess of the expenses of the ad- mlnistration of the criminal laws of the laai, condition of things never here tofore eyisting'
 Jones ParoIed.
 The governor has paroled L. F. Jones. charged with miscegenation In Tailapoosa county. and sentenced to two years in the penitentiary His parole was advised by the trial judge. who thought he had been punished enough having served a little over two years.
 The books of the following officers of Marshall county have been examined by Assistant Examiner Wilkinson and found to be correct: Probate Judge A M. Ay- CTS; Sheriff c. z. Adams; Circuit Clerk M. M. Downey; Tax Collector J. F. rd
 The Hon. J. Thomas Heflin, congress- man-elect from the Fifth district, left his home at Lafayette yesterday for Washington to be sworn in.