The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-14
ANOTHER WEEK IF
 EXTRA SESSION Georgia Legislature May Not Settle Convict Question PUBLISHERS DETERMINED Members of the House Will Not Yield In Their Attitude on Convict Mat
 ters and Rest of Session
 May Be Fruitless.
PUBLISHERS DETERMINED

Atlanta, September 1S.-(Special.) )-The practical adjournment of the house rom Friday until Monday means at least an- other week of extra session spent oh 'iio convict problem, and with no nope oA ultimate settlement yet in sight.
 The house held a Saturday session, but it was specifically provided In the Frl- day resolution that It's only purpose should be reading bills a first and second lime Many of the members were anx- ions to get home tor the weekend, and they seized eagerly upon the opportunity offered by the flibustering campaign which has been going on this week in the senate.
 With Monday the extraordinary session will have been iu session three full weeks, and its only productions have been bills providing that counties which want them may establish juvenile courts, provisional convict parole system a tax on near beer and a commission 10 lh- vestigate the feasibility of working con victs on the proposed extension of the Western and Atlantic railroad.
 It is as far as ever from the ultimate solution of the main problem, which necessitated the call for it. Members of both houses have threatened to sit until their terms expire before giving ln to the antagonistic views of the other' There are some of the members just pull headed enough to do 1t. Practically the only hope now is that a sufficient num- ber of members will tire of the strain, as well as the expense on the state' and agree to some plan that Will Drins an end to the present farce.
 Until this week the house majority has been the object of attack because of its refusal to let final go of the lease sys- tenn until it is shown that the state can get the money to take care of the convicts. The stubborn majority was roundly roasted, but it stood by it's guns Now it is the senate minority that Is in bad odor with those who want the lease system abandoned immediately and peremptorily whether the state has the money to meet the situation or not. Un- der the leadership of Senator Knight, the senate minority has held the boards this week and filibustered the majority out of the object which it has had In view-the passage of an entirely new convict bill.
 Whenever 1t was urged that the extra session which is costing the state some $500 a day, ought to get through with it's work and adjourn, a great hue and cry was raised against hurrying the leg
 ad tts1xx Qnffnn Now the shoe seems to be on the other foot. and they are parading over the state how much Senator Knight is cost ing the people by his filibustering tao tics.
 It is true there is no more excuse for Senator Knights dilatory tactics and those of his supporters than there was for those of his opponents who insisted that they should be allowed to take all the time they wanted to perfect con- yiet bill But there is a certain element which can see nothing but evil in the house majority and the senate minority
 There appears to be every reason to believe that public sentiment generally fayors the earliest possible abandonment of the lease system and putting the convicts on the public roads; but there is scarcely a community in the state that is, if reports are correct, willing to be taxed to support the convicts.
 Whatever may be the outcome of the present legislative efforts, 1t cannot be doubted that there is going to come a demand that some scheme shall be de- vised by which the convicts shall at least be made self-supporting. While in the cities the feeling may not be so strong in this direction, it is hardly ques- tioned that such a sentiment pervades the country counties of the state.
 Just how it will be brought about that the convicts shall be made to maintain themselves after the abandonment of the lease system Is a question. It cannot, of course, be done if the state itself works the convicts on the public roads. That would Involve a direct expense from the state treasury for which there would be no cash return.
 Of course road improvement is in it. self valuable return, but can the peo- pie of the state generally be impressed with the fact that this Is worth as much or more than theyTill bs called on to pay in taxes for cdhvict maintenance7
 They are getting now the net returns from convict hire for their public schools. That taken away the schools will have to be supplied to that extent from some other source. The state treasury must bear this burden in addition to that of convict maintenance.
 It Is no doubt worth the price if the state can acquire a system of good roads but one of the important questions Is where will the state, with a constitutional tax limit of mills get the money? The near beer tax, if 1t holds, will supply part, but only part, of it. It will leave the money part of the problem still unsettled and give the new legislature & difficult nut to crack.
 
 School Work Aseipned