The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-06
CONVICT MONEY NEED NOT BE TURNED INTO
 FORFEITURE FUND Citizens of County Will Get Benefit If Convicts Are
 Put on Roads LONDON FAVORS PLAN CALLS FEES "DAMNABLE" State Law Does Not Specify That the Board Pay Single Penny Into
 the Fee Fund For Using
 the Convlcts.

The new turn in the county convict matter brought out by Jere c. King yes- terday caused a great amount of discus- sion. It is received in many quarters as convincing that the county ought to try at least from 25 to 50 convicts on the roads for one year as an experiment.
 Mr. King stated yesterday that The Age-Herald had not quoted him in full on the proposition, and when questioned further he said:
 Shall the Public Be Benefited?
 ''The sole question for the people of the county 10 determine is this: Whether or not the public will be more greatly bene- fited by putting several hundred county convicts on the public roads and paying out of the county treasury for their main tenance and support, or whether the ;oa. victs shall be hired out and thelr pro- ceeds go to pay clerks, sheriffs' and solic- itors fees and scrip buyers, who have bought up the witness tickets from state witnesses that have appeared before the grand jury and before the criminal court of the county at a prlco ranging frcm 50 to 75 cents on the dollar
 "rhe scrip buyer is a go-between be- tween the state witness and the fine and forfeiture fund The claims against this fund aggregate something like $3O0O0 or s35,0O0 yearly, and the claims now regis tered against this fund aggregate some thing like $100,000 The county convict works to pay for the cost of his convic- ton, except that his earnings do not so to 10 nd cal sat on his case. After he pays the cost of his case his earnings go into the fire and forfeiture fund to pay the fees of some person that was indicted and was acquitted, or to pay witness fee for some person who attended session of the grand jury and no bill was found.
 "Of course, if the county convicts are put on the public road this fine and for feiture fund will be seriously impaired, and the clerk and sheriffs will wait a much longer time to get their claims paid which are chargeable against this fund, and the state witness who attends could will get much less sum than be now gets at the hands of the scrip buyer.
 Personally I hate the fee system l think it a damnable outrage that man should be put on trial where the of- ficers of the court are personally interest ed in his conviction so that they may get their fees. I am decidedly of the opinion that if, in addition to the road fund, the county convicts are put upon the public roads of the county, the magnificent sys- tenn of roads that Jefferson county had 10 years ago would be restored to their for mer splendid condition"
 London Thinks the System DamnabIe.
 T agree with Jere King, exactly" said Alex T. London yesterday. 'lf the benefits of the convict labor were reaped by the people l would say keep them in the mines, but that is simply continua- ton and a boost to the damnable fee system which ought to be torn down, piece by piece, If 1t can not all be cut down at once.
 "Officers who are drawing S20, GOO to s60, 900 a year can afford to walt longer for their money, or not get part of 1t at all. I consider this a great issue before the voters of this county. It is the first at tack against the ring who fight for the fee system, the ring which defeated Its repeal al the last legislature. Unfortunate ly the fee system received the approval of Governor Iomer, and 1t was seriously suggested here to build 12-story jail for the purpose of accommodating unfortu- nate persons charged with serious of fences, principally craps shooting and abusive language
 IHe QucStlOH IS iiot oHe ol duoPtiHS e plan by which we pay the fine and for feture fund the same amount it now re- ceives from the convicts, but that we take 1t away and use 1t on the roads of this county where every man can get Il benefit. The convicts will cost, according to Mr. McGeever's figures, about SIS. SD each per month for feed, clothing and guards, and for that sum we will get better work in less time than we are paying $32 for now.
 'The county should put men in the