The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-05

time been quite remunerattVe and there
is no reason why it should not be in the
the future, There are only 1900 spindles
and in my judgment it would be wise to
increase the mills capacity to $4,000 or
1900 spindles. In case the state should
at any time see fit to dispose of the mill
1t strikes me that the larger number of
spindles would make it more saleable.
Agricultural.
The conditions in agricultural operations
have as heretofore, remained about the
same with the exception of No. 4, where
the Tallapoosa river overnowed the place
three times during the growth of the
crop and destroyed an immense amount of
corn. Where we have been making from
5000 to 1900 bushels a year for the last
two years we have perhaps only gotten
about half this amount this year.
fair crop has been made at We
tumpka, considering 1t is used principally
for hospital purposes and only enough
well convicts are kept there for the pur-
pose of looking after the sick
At Spelgner the crop will be little
better than 1t was last year, although the
storm that we had some time back did
quite good deal of damage.
Stock.
The stock at the several prisons is IN
good condition and has been very materi-
ally improved.
Piece Work.
The convcts at Pratt mines and at
Flat Top are getting out coal at the
former place at 70 cents per ton delivered
over the tipple, and at the latter place
at 43 cents, delivered at the mouth of the
rooms.
These contracts have been quite re-
muneratve to the state, but after mature
deliberation / have very grave doubts as
to the moral right of working the con-
vcts in the minds. 1t is argued that free
labor works there in safety. which is
true, but free labor can work two or three
days In the week and remain in the sun
shine the balance of the time whereas
the convict works six days in the week.
Another point is the number of aeci-
dents. 1t is well known fact that the
bulk of our convicts are of a very care
less class with little idea of taking care
of themselves, and to make myself more
clear, the accidents occurring at Pratt
mines in two years, among the state men
amounted to $780, however, with only three
fatal cases. In the county men or short
time men. 1t amounted to 1853, with six
fatal cases. and at Flat Top mines we
have had 435 accidents, with eight deaths
as the result These accidents do not in
clude injuries received from fighting, but
from accidents alone due TO the mines.
County Convict System.
The county convict system, If anything
Is worse than ever before In its history
The demand for labor and fees has be-
come so great that most of them now go
to the mines where many of them are I'M
fit for such labor, consequently 1t Is not
Iopo ma q ~ from tbia ri mr.
as a superintendent of one of the mines
two places for a convict, one in the mines
and the other in the hospital. This sys-
TEN should be wiped out of existence and
it cannot be done too soon. II the state
wishes TO kill its convicts 1t should do it
directly and not indirectly. Every con-
vict in Alabama, whose sentence exceeds
six months, should be sent 10 the peniten-
tiary and those under six months should
be hired to the county OF conviction. II
all persons convicted of crime were SEN
fenced TO the penltentiary, they would be
better cared for and they would be dis
tributed according to their physical con-
dition so that their work would be Meth
er burdensome or dangerous to them, and
I'm addition to this whenever they became
sick they would be transferred to the gen
eral hospital where they would receive
the best Of attention. As II Is. this board
has no authority or power to transfer
a county convict. If he develops tubercu-
losis or any other disease, he has 10 ta,e
his chances at the camp in which he is
located and in large proportion Of
cases IL means death. ] am well aware
of the fact that this would add additional
cost to the state, but conceding this. Is II
not the duty Of the state to see that prop
er treatment 10 accorded to these poor,