The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-03-06
BRAGG Is
 STATE INSPECTOR Will Examine IailS, Aims Houses and Cotton Mills RECEIPTS FROM CONNECTS J. H. Cranford Takes Pride In His Success in Winning Fight for Quar-
 terly Payment of Pensions
 to the Veterans.

Montgomery, March 5.--(Special. )-Goy- ernor Conner signed the jail and almshouse inspection bill this morning and shortly afterwards announced the appointment of Dr. Shirley Bragg as inspector. The sal ary is $2O0 a year, with an expense ac- count, and besides inspecting jails and almshouses will examine cotton mills as well. He is to enter upon his duties at once.
 Dr. Bragg has had an enviable career in the public service in Alabama. Some years ago he came to the convict board as phy- sician inspector. His first work was in behalf of the health of the wards of the state, and the fact that under his care the death rate has been reduced to less than per cent is monument to his skill and watchfulness. He has said that the betterment of conditions in the jails of the state will largely reduce the low rate now prevailing in the state.
 The inclusion of cotton mills in the in- spection duty of the new place to which Dr. Bragg has been appointed is an inter- esting story When the bill came over from the house, Senator Reynolds amend ed it so as to include cotton mills or at least tried to do so, but could not get 1t adopted. 1t was signed without it and sent to the governor for his signature. lin- agine the surprise of the body when it came back with an amendment to this ef- feet recommended by the governor. The house accepted it in spite of red hot speech in opposition by MT. Pettus of Perry, and the senate agreed to it with out controversy.
 Has Fought Filth.
 It is n1t more than just to say that Dr. Bragg will endeovon to see that the places Illus given over to his care arc well kept. For many years he has fought against the filthy and disease-breedlng jails and has said in numerous reports that they are the worst menaces to health endured by the prison life of Ala bama. In his most recent report to the governor as head of the convict board he said: 'I am more convinced that the ideas of humanity and civilization would be better carried out if the torch were ap- piled to every jail In Alabama
 Later on the doctor, in the same re- port, expressed the opinion that 1t were better to tic prisoners out to stake than to leave them in the jails, winding up by saying that the jails are mot only har- bingers of disease but they are unques- tionably nurseries of death."
 In the same report the doctor said of inspections: There should be a jail in- spector, perhaps two These inspectors should be men who know something about sanitation, and above all who would be fearless in the performance of their duty.''
 It is therefore easy to guess what the iailkeepers have to expect from Jail h. spector pr. Shirley Bragg.
 Convict Receipts.
 The receipts of the convict department and for the first seven months of the fis- cal year, $S94 153. 60. For the whole of the year ending August 31 last the receipts were S759, ,757 Al. There have been received since the first of the month 5000, which ought to be credited to February, 1t hay ing just gotten in in time to keep from being counted.
 The money of the convicts is made at the mines and the lumber camps. with some of it at Speigner, in the cotton mills. However, practically the entire revenue producing convicts are located in the mines and at the mills. These are divided as follows: Pratt mines. 309; Flat Top mines, 1S9; lumber mills, 753; in all, 1251. t will thus be see nthat the entire 2059 are made to earn great profits for the state with sos who either do not make much or are dead weight.
 J. Craig Smith, the new head of the de- partment. is availing himself of the ser vices of Dr. Bragg for some days antil he gets well broken into the service. There is a world of detail in the conduct of the uY, a and attention to keep 1t up. By a law enacted at this legislature the accounts of the de- partment are transferred from the aud itor's office to the office of the president, thta he may have all to do with the con duct of the business.
 Cranford Is Winner.
 J. H. Cranford. known to all the mem- bers of the legisla ture as Capt. Jack Cranford, won a fight that has given him great pleasure in the adoption by the leg islature of his plan to pay the old sol diers their pensions every quarter instead of once a year, as it has been all the tlme Captain Jack introduced the bill early in the session, and has kept behind it all the time. He said.
 'I believe that the state not only ought to do more for the old soldiers than It was doing, but do 1t in such way as to give the pensioners the best service with it. The plan to keep them out of their pay for a whole year was not fair to them as they need the money oftener, and they should have it. What difference does 1t make if the pay is made four times year or once. save in the increased work of the auditors office, and the state is amply able to pay for that if it is better for the old fellows who need the money
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