The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-24
ELECTION WILL BE CALLED ID DECIDE
 ON JAIL QUESTION People Will Vote on Whether Present Structure Shall Be Moved to Outskirts COL. HIGDON FAVORS TALL JAIL ON PRESENT SITE Thinks County Would Be Put to an Enormous Expense If Prisoners
 Have to Be Hauled Back
 and Forth.

The issue now before the people of Jef- ferson county is shall we have an up-to- date jail and court house, and shall the county jail be erected on the present site or removed from the center of the city? The Board of Revenue yesterday decided to put the responsibility for the whole matter on the voters, allowing them to vote on these two questions of issuing bonds and removing the jail at the ear Hest possible moment.
 John H. Miller, county attorney, was instructed to draw up resolutions calling for an election, at the meeting of the board yesterday, and this election will be held thirty days after the adoption of the resolution, or the latter part of next month.
 This undoubtedly means that Jefferson county will have a modern jail and an ad- dltion to the court house that will do honor to the county. As far as the issuing of the bonds is concerned there has never de- veloped any opposition to the proposition but rather there has been demand for more room in the county buildings.
 Will Be a Live Issue.
  ton the removal of the bastile will be live issue, and a matter of importance. On the side which Is insisting on removal are the Rev. Dr. John w. Stagg, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, Rufus. N Rhodes and several others.
 Dr. Stagg is of the opinion that the structure should be on the outside or the city, where he believes the health Of the prisoners could be better cared for, and there would be abundant room for bringing into the prisoners lives all those things that tend to show human kind ness toward the criminal He points out the fact that in many other cities the court house and jail are separated, and asks: "Is it right to spoil what might be one of the most impressive business sec tions in order that a jail may be joined to a court house?"
 Hiadon Favors Present Location.
 Sheriff Higdon is a man closely con nected with the proposition, and does not think it to the best interest of the county that the jail be moved. He said: With all due respect to the gentlemen who ad- vocate removal of the jail. and feeling that they are perfectly sincere in pur- pose, yet 1 feel that I am in a better posi- tion than they to understand the needs and conditions. What I say is not so much for myself as the jail may not be completed during my term of office, but for the good of the county in future.
 "In the first place it would incur an additional expense for buying a new site. We already have plenty of space for the jail and new court house, and 1t looks impractcable to buy another. If the new site was bought within mile or two miles of the court house the cost would be enormous.
 The jail would there be stretched out over more ground, would have yard walls and would naturally kill the value of the land around for residences, or parks, or anything else.
 Heavy Additional Expense.
 But then should the site be purchased, the trouble would not have begun. I be- lieve that separation of jail from court house would cost the county an addition al sum of at least $2O,0O0 per year.
 Now if you would just think a moment what difficulty the sheriff's office is now