The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-17
Committee of Lawyers Submits Answer 10 Objections That
 Have Been Raised
URGE ALL VOTERS TO
 STAND BY THE MEASURE
Maintain That More Room Is Imper- atlve For the Proper Transaction of the Public Business In
 Jefferson County.


 ferson county setting forth their req sons for advocating the issuance of bonds for the erection of a new jail and courthou in Birmingham, and new courthouse in Bessemer.
 The committee maintains that tn 6 issue presents one of the most pressing problems confronting the county. The communication Is signed by Richard H. Fries, Frank s. White, N. L. Miller and Samuel Will John, and is as fol- lows:
 ITO the Voters of Jefferson County.
 "At a largely attended meeting of the bar of Jefferson county the un- dersigned were appointed a committee to address you and urge you to vote for the bond issue to raise the money with which to build a jail fit to keep hu- man beings in, and courthouses large enough to afford at least decent quar- ters in which to hold the courts of this county.
 "The present courthouse cost $3o0,- 900, not 20 years old, and was built when there was one judge in the city court, one judge in the criminal court, the chancellor then held chancery courts In 16 other counties and the cir cult judge held circuit courts in two other counties, and there was no city court in Bessemer.
 Now we have two circuit judges, four city court judges, two criminal court judges, the chancellor holds court nearly all his time in Jefferson county and there are two judges of the infer for court That tn ere is business to keep all these judges constantly at work for at least nine months in every year is manifest to any one who will examine the dockets.
 Jail Has Been Condemned.
 ''The jail has been officially con- demned by Dr. Bragg and again by Dr. Bush as utterly unfit to confine pris- 1 oners therein.
 This makes 1t obligatory on the Board of Revenue to provide a suitable prison for the large number of pris- oners that will always be confined in this county.
 We do not think it necessary to appeal to those electors who have had for they know that the courthouse is overcrowded, with no proper waiting rooms for ladies, no waiting rooms for men, the court rooms small and un- comfortable and no suitable accommo- dations for jurors.
 "The county has to rent rooms for the city court of Bessemer which is expensive, and those rooms were not built for that public use and are not suitable for holding courts.
 Can Trust the Board.
 "To tho who object to borrowing so large a sum as $600,00 we say that the Board of Revenue Is pledged to the people not to borrow dollar of the sums auth orized more than is abso- lutely needed, and they are conserva- tive and can be trusted to execute the trust wisely.
 ITO those who say that if the fee system is abolished we would not need more jail or courthouse room we say that If the fee system is abolished tn at will not reduce the number of civil cases by one, and that 1t should be borne in mind that seven judges try civil cases exclusively while two try criminal cases.
 If those persons who complain at the judges for not working more were compelled to try cases all day, day after day, in such small, uncomfortable insanitary quarters We are confident they would cease to criticise and vote for better quarters for our courts.
 Tt Is certain that In proportion to population there are more cases in our courts than in the state courts of any county in the United States.
 This is true of the United States courts held here and the only way to reduce this great volume of business is to reduce population, which we would not do if we could.
 Police Records In Danger.
 "The public records of all courts and of conveyances and wills are exposed to destruction by fire, and this would infiict on our people an irrepara ble in- jury, render titles so uncertain as to depreciate the value of real estate, and make it very difficult and expensive to obtain loans thereon, and in some cases for years prevent the owners from ne- gotiating loans secured by mortgages thereon.
 "It has been suggested that a new jail and criminal court rooms could be built but this would not give adequate relief, and at best would be temporary and the money put into such building would be temporary.
 ITO pay the interest on this loan will not be burdensome, as 1t will require a person to pay only cents on the $100 of assessed values for a year, and 30 cents on 5000 of assessed value of property per annum.
 "In view of the dire need of suit able jail in which to conf1ne human be- ings and of suitable court rooms and the necessary offices and rooms for the proper transaction of the public busi- ness and preservation of the public records, and the proper. orderly admin istration of justice in this county, we appeal to every patriotic citizens to vote for the issuance of $60O,OO of bonds.
 "RICHARD H. FRIES.
 FRANK S. WHITE,
 IN. l.. MILLER,