The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-10
County Convict system.

engaged
County Convict system.
The county convict system is re-
proach. Four years ago I advised a
change of one line In the code, requr-
Ing hard labor agents to receive the APP
prevail OF the state convict department
to proposed contracts This would have
practically put the control of the coun-
~ system In the state department That
department was willing to see that ade-
duate pay was given for the service of
these conVlcts. and particularly desired
TO so place them and In sufficient num-
bers that its agents could the better over
look them. The simple remedy proposed
would have added to the fine and for
feiture fund of every county and Injured
particularly to the well-ebng OF the poor
unfortunates The present system is be-
yond words. | hardly trust myself 10
write of it.
Convict Earnings and Whisky Licenses
| am persuaded that the earnings from
the state convicts and as well the money
derived from whisky licenses should 20
to the schools, the division looking par
ticularly to the support of reformatory
institutions. One-hail of the criminals
certainly, | should say, are made so
either directly or indirectly by the use
of ardent spirits. The convict camps are
not take the earnings then of these I'M
fortunates and the income from licenses
to reform the boy or strengthen him
through proper education, against fu-
ture temptation. This would be "A great
departure from the states financial svs-
tenn. and ought to be provided for with
due reference to future possible treasury
BALANCES. In this connection the munlej-
pal code which you are to draft might
provide for minimum license for the
sale Of whisky. which should be higher
than known in the average city of this
state before. take 1t that you will pass
a local option law, but not less important
is higher minimum license, dependent
upon population.
Bucket Shops.
One of the crying evils of the day is the
gambling done through what are known
as bucket shops. ! am sure you will agree
with me that they ought to have no legal
existence in Alabama.
The Surplus.
The state treasury on December / had
balance of $9l5.304. 40. That is a lower
point than the balance had reached In
one year and would be lower than 1t
would reach I'm another year the treasury
receiving and disbursing the same amount
as the past twelve months. 1t is what we
call low water time and low water mark.
1t marks the exact day when the income
from the new tax year gets larger than
the demand on the treasury. II Is an abso-
Lutte surplus. Indeed, might say that the
surplus Is a round million, because the
half year interest due on the first day
of January had been taken from the
treasury before December l and sent to
New York. There may be some discus
sion of this position, but the money Is
In the treasury and It Is a real surplus.
The discussion, or seeming doubt of its
nature grows out of an old law, which /
think has been improperly interpreted by
some officers. requiring school money col
lected In past fiscal year to be set aside
for schools in the next fiscal year. If
such can be called the law now 1t ought
to be repealed, because 1t has never been
observed in actual practice, and Is n most
foolish provision There is no earthly
reason why this years schools should not
be taught with this years money instead
of last years money. There has been no
habit of setting the school mnoey aside
or any other money aside. For years until
the latter ones the treasury has rus down
at low water to the very bottom and to
the last dollar.
II the state might be considered firm
or corporation and had gone out of busl-
ness on December ], the balance OF, GER
tainly as much as s915. 304 40, would have
been distributed to its stockholders Ii
would have been free OF any obligation
which could have touched any part of II.
The stockholders in that case would have
been entitled to 1t as a dividend
The net balance for the last years bus
mess amounted to s39s95l 90. That is to
saw, this amount was received above the
disbursements. and may be called the
years profit.
Officers Report.
! call your attention to number of