The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-05
WILL NOT RESCIND
monYLE INSISTS uPON CANCELI.A-
 TYoN OF CONVICT CONTRACT.
Pr<nidenf of the sloss-Shef1eld Steel and Iron company Makes Appeal , Buf ft win Go
 Uuheeded.
Advertiser Bureau,
 MAMMA May

-S-
 Advertiser Bureau,
 Mobile, May {. Hon. Price Williams, IT., Judge Q Probate for Mobile County, this morn ing received the following letter witt reference to his notice and that of tn Board of Revenue and Road Commis' sioners of Mobile County in the annui n1ent of the contract with the sioss' shefheld Steel and Iron Company IT the matter of the hire or lease or hart labor convicts:
 Birmingham, Ala, May 3, 1908. Hon. Price Williams. sJr.. Judge of Pro
 bate, Mobile County, Ala:
 Dear Sir-Your favor of the End Tn stant. stating that 1t had been showr to your satisfaction as Probate Judge of Mobile County that the Mobile Coun- ty convicts held by this company un' der contract with the Boaro or Heye. nue and Road Commissioners Of Mo bile County, have been cruelty and In humanly treated, and informing me that you. as Judge of Probate. ana un- der authority of the State, do declare the contract with this company ended or annualIed, and enclosing notice oi action Of Board of Revenue and Road Commissioners of Mobile County or their action of like effect, has been re- ceivad
 You and the Board base your action on the proposition that this company has cruelty and inhumanly treated the convicts hired to this company by your county. This proposition this company most emphaticslly denies, and state that you and the Board lave been mis- informed
 This company, therefore, denies the right in you. as in the Board. to put an end to. or annuI the contract. and this company shall act accordingly. and Will expect your county to comply with It's contract.
 This company, however, believing that you and the Board have acted under misapprehension of the facts as they exist, will be glad of an opportunity of showing to you what the facts are. If, however, you win not accede to thiH. this company now proposes to you to leave the question at issue between us. to the Board of Convict Inspectors, or to the arbitrament of any three dis- interested persons and if they decide against this company. this company will acquiesee in their award, and to cancellation of the contract.
 We submit that this Is fair. and in this way the facts can be established The company does not care so much for the loss of the labor of the convicfs to which it is entitled under the con tract. as it does for the good name which it has had in the past, and still has, at least in his community. where 1t is known. and it believes that 1t can be thoroughly established to the sat- isfaction of such arbitrators, as well as to yourselves, that you have been nnisIed in respect 50 the manner fn which your convicts have been treated If you accept this suggestion, the com pany only asks that your county will rescind what it has done and agree to wait until there can be an award
 Believing that the above suggestion will appeal to the Judgement of your self and the members of the board, and that you only desire what Is just and fair, and knowing that this company has not been guilty Of the conduct ascribed to 1t, and that it can so con- vince you. we await your reply.
 Your truly.
 J. C. Maben.
 President. Judge Williams and President W H. Holcombe, of the Board of Revenu' and Road Commissioner were seen bl The Advertiser correspondent wit reference to the above. Both declares they had been thoroughly convince as to the treatment of prisoners iron Mobile county at Flat Top and pro posed to stand pat on the action takei
 
 Attorney George J.. Sullivan of tn county board. speaking of the attitud of the Sloss Sheffield Company, sai' he had no doubt the action of tn Board of Revenue and Road Commis sions and Probate Judge Price VII Hams would be upheld in event tn courts were appeal to by the Sloss shefleld Company.
 Dr. ". c. Ward, the county physi elan. upon whose report, after a thor oggh Investigation of conditions a Flat Top mine. In Jefferson county the Board acted, stated he was read! to prove every statement he mad and would go further, if necessary and show that q Mobile county convic had died since his visit of inspection as the result of treatment there.
 Judge Price Williams, for more thai thirty years Judge of Probate cour of Mobile county, emphatically state' that, regardless of the statements O two returned Mobile county convicts who gave statements under oath befor him, he had read the report of Dr. " c. Ward. the county physician, an' through a spirit of humanity and jus tice, wrote his order of annulment 0 the contract with the Sioss-Sheffiel Company.
 Hon. O. J. Semmes, for thirty -tw years judge of the city court of Mobil county, after hearing the report O pr. Ward and reading the sworn state ments of the two returned convicti announced from the bench that h would not, under any circumstance sentence a prisoner convicted in hi court, to hard labor, if he had to g to Flat Top.
 Judge J. E. Afford. of the inferio criminal court for four years. and re nominated without opposition, followe the steps of Judge Semmes, and de clared he would send all felons, con victed in his court. to the county jail rather than to Flat Top.
 Committee Is Investigating.
 The committee of five, appointed b. the last general council to investigate certain charges, as to insufaciency O thickness of material used in the sec ond paving district and to examine in to the expenditures of the board o public worK met this afternoon fo the first time in six weeks, dissolved the old committee and reorganized b! elRctins John Craft. appointed to tn committee yesterday by President Ly ons of the council. as chairman.
 The first work of the committee wa. to discuss the time of holding session but this was not definitely decided upon. Byron T. Smith, expert civi engineer employed to measure thi pavement and examine the materia used In the second district reported some of the material used of insuf fcient thickness and in many instan ces material Of poor grade.