The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-23
DR. BUSH RECEIVES
 HIS COMMISSION
Must Visit Cotton Factories In
 the State
CHRISTMAS IN PRISONS
Recognizing the Unwritten Law Gov. ernor Conner Pardons Mack Has, kill Convicted of Murder in Et-
 owah County Last Year.

Montgomery, December 2.-(Special)- Having received his commission as state jail and cotton mill inspector. Dr. Charles F. Bush, the new appointee to the place of the late pr. Shirley Bragg has gone back to Thomasville to study over the problems while he digests his Christmas turkey. And the first of these in im- portance promises to be that of the ap- pllcation of the compulsory education act as applied to cotton mill employees It IS a fact not generally known that Ala
 bama has compulsory education law, even though it applies only to cotton 1 mill employees
 The law, passed at the last session of the legislature and effective January 1, l9O9, provides that no child under 12 years i Of age shall be employed or permitted to work in or be in or about any mill or factory or manufacturing establishment In this state. Also that "one year after | the provisions of this section as above set forth go into force and effect no child between the ages of F and Is years shall be employed or be permitted to work or detained in or about any mill factory or manufacturing establishment in this state unless such child shallattend school for eight weeks in every year of employ ment, six weeks of which shall be con- secutve."
 The act is not clear as to when the child shall attend the school, nor is it safe to say that the action in 1909 must be based on the time of going to school in 1908, but it Is a fact that after 1909 the statutes will be fixed. It Is also probable that the children who work next year must have made some sort of show ing about going to school that will give the inSDectOr aSsurnn naa That the Snirif of the act will be carried out As stated above, this will be one of the duties that will demand instant attention from the new man in the office. Chief Clerk John A. Adams made Dr. Bush familiar with the matters to be taken care of at once. It is the duty of the inspector to visit every cotton mill or factory where women and children are employed at least four times a year, and oftener if ordered to do so by the governor. He is to visit
 twice a year and oftener if he can every
 almshouse and jail He must make written report to the governor with rec concentrations. This means a possible 56S reports. oir two day the year round, counting out Sundays and holidays. So it is seen that the jail inspector will earn his pay which is s240O a year and i expenses.
 Gov. B. B. Conner admits that the se- lection of a man to take the place of Dr. Bragg was one of the hardest things l he has had to do. "I had more difficulty | in choice than in any other appointment l have made" said the governor in dis cussing it. Among the applicants were number of most excellent gentlemen,
 both as to capabity and reputation and
 warm personal friends of mine, any one of
 whom would have made A good officer for ! the state. In making a selection I thought it right to be governed to an appreciabe extent by the locality of the physicians residence and I tried to give the place to the section of the state which has the least representation in the state govern ment."