The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-27
JAIL PROPOSITION IS
 UP ID DR. BRAGG
County Prisoners May Be Re-
 moved to Wetumpka
BOARD IS UP IN THE AIR
Chairman Reid Is Opposed to Issuing Script for Jail Because of the Heavy Expense to the
 County.

The county jail proposition is now up to Dr. Bragg. The Board of Revenue is in a quandary and don't know what to do. AL though Dr. Brass has ordered the presedt jail done away with, the people of Jeffer son county have decided against the IS suance of bonds for the necessary amount with which to construct a new one, and all effort towards finding solution of the matter has been brought to a standstill awaiting the further action of Dr. Bragg.
 Dr. Bragg has said that the jail was un- fit for animals to live in and it is very doubtful if he will allow the county to continue housing prisoners there. He Is authorized by the legislature to condemn any prison that he thinks unfit for prison use, and as he has already condemned the Jefferson county jail he can demand the keys to 1t and order the county to remove the prisoners at any time he sees fit. The concensus of opinion is that Dr. Bragg will demand that the use of the present jail be discontinued at once, In which case the prisoners will be sent to other pris- ons throughout the state, where they will be boarded at the expense of Jefferson county. In case this Is necessary, it is said that most of the prisoners will be sent to the WetImpka prison.
 Writes to pr. Bragg.
 Sheriff Higdon has written letter to i Dr. Bragg and one to the Board of Rev enue, outlining the conditions existing in the jail, and requesting that some action be taken al once in regard to relieving the situation. In these letters he stated that the frame building which is used hospital, is so crowded that 1t Is very l often necessary to allow sick whites and blacks to l.e next to each other. He also states that this building Is menace to health and should be torn down im- mediately. While the building of a new i jail or the ordering of the prisoners out of the present one would make things exceedingly hard for Sheriff Hlgdon, he | thinks something should be done towards the proper care of the prisoners
 Must Wait Two Years. l It has been currently reported that the board could call another election next month, but this is dispelled by the opn-
 
 yers. They state that under the statute in which this election was held another election on the issuance of court house bonds cannot be held for at least two years.
 1 The matter of the boards going ahead with the construction of the building anI issuing warrants for the payment of the amounts necessary which warrants would be taken up by syndicate formed for 1 the purpose and cashed from time to time out of the regular revenue of the county, was presented to the board by w. P. c. Harding. The members of the board say that this will hardly be done, however. They have not entirely recov- cred from the shock received by the re- suit of the election, and are waiting to hear from Dr. Bragg before deciding on l anything.
 l The board passed the following resou- ton yesterday in regard to having .he , county physicians examine the inmates of the county jail regularly:
 That the county physicians and health officers be requested to make an exam- inaton of the inmates of the county jail, and report the findings to the Board of l Revenue as soon as possible <nd similar statements monthly hereaf1r."
 As the matter now stands, it appears that Birmingham is soon to be the owner of large hole in the ground and have nothing to fill 1t with.
 Chairman Reid's View.
 In discussing the situation, Chairman Reid of the Board of Revenue said yes terday:
 My idea is that the Board of Revenue will be compelled to submit again to the l people of Jefferson the question as to | whether or not we shall issue the amount of bonds necessary for a fund to erect new jail and secure additional court 1 room.
 1 Sure it is that the county needs such building and l am certain the general voter did not fully understand the propo- sition on Monday, and that the small vote | on the question was due to misunder- standing. The board may or may not vote to issue script for such purpose, but am i opposed to 1t, upon the ground that an issuance and payment by county warrants | means payment for the court building | in full at a specified time; whereas an issuance of thirty-year bonds would mean that this nor the next generation would have to pay the principal. The interest would be only s225OO per annum, and for such a building as we proposed that would be small, and 1t would not necessitate the levy of an extra tax. A county script issue certainly would mean extra tax to meet annual payments of principal and | interest.
 County script is not interest bearing, and the discount upon 1t would be woe l fully expensive. No contractor and no syndicate of money lenders would come within the Az per cent proposition, and I see no use discussing that part of the | proposition.
 | My idea is that the board will patient | ly bide it's time, and when the eyes of the people are opened to the necessity of | the occasion, we can and will submit again the proposition to issue bonds nec- essary to the demand"
 PRESS CLUB MEETING.