The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-14
LIVE DEBATE ON
 MINE CONNECTS The House Caucus Adjourns Without Action WILL BE UP TODAY Number of Speeches Were Made in Favor of Taking All the State
 Convicts From the
 Mines
WILL BE UP TODAY

Montgomery. April 1s.-(special.)- One of the liveliest debates that has taken place on the floor of the house during the present session was pre- cipltated today in the caucus as the re- suit of an attempt to get favorable report on Senator Moulthrop's bill re- quiring that convicts be worked on the public roads of the several counties of the state.
 The recent mine disaster in the Bir- mingham district furnished material for many Humanitarian speeches. and the friends of the bill might have car ried the day had the caucus not ad- journed in the midst of the debate.
 The measure was championed by Rep resentatives James, Williams, Darden, Jenkins and others, all of whom de- clared that the present system of fore ing the convicts to work in the mines was disgrace and should not be toll | erated by a civilized state. Friends of the bill were vigorous in their pro- testations against the present system which obtains, stating that the reve- nue received from the labor of the con vict miners was blood money" and that the convicts were forced to endure conditions worse than slavery.
 The opposition, headed by Represen- tatives Mulkey, Pitts, Arnold, Rice and Mastin,J. declared that the members were swept off their feet by mere sem timent that to enact the Moulthrop bill into a law would tend to disrupt the I at the same time to greatly impair the revenues much of which goes to the maintenance of the public schools of the state Those against the measure said they believed the contemplated change was too radical and drastic, and that such an important question should not be taken up this late in the ses- sion
 The debate was at it's height when MT. Arnold, who had spoken vigorously against the bill, moved that the caucus adjourn sine die. The motion prevailed, | with the members of the caucus no nearer an agreement than when the bill was first called up. The question will doubtless prove a lively issue before the house tomorrow.
 Session in Detail
 The caucus met this morning shortly after 10 O clock with Alex Pitts Of Dailas in the chair. The first business taken up was the report of the subcommittee ap- pointed yesterday afternoon for the pur- rost of recommending bills that should be acted upon by the caucus. About 70 bills were reported by this committee, all of which were given favorable consider ation by the caucus.
 The first bill taken up was a measure by Senator Morrow providing for an in crease in the salary of the secretary to the state tax commissioner from $lSo0 to S24OO The provisions of the bill were explained to the conference by J. Lee Long, chairman of the state tax commits sion. MT Long explained that the bill | was designed to increase the salary Of the secretary to the tax commission and to release $S2O0 of the annual appropria- ton for the expenses of the department. The bill was favorably reported
 Senator Stevens of Mobile then ex- plained to the caucus the provisions of his bill relating to the rights of a minor to establish his ownership to certain lands. The bill was favorably reported
 For Slaughter of Cows
 Dr. McLendon of Escambia called up Senator Stevens bill requiring milch cows affected with tuberculosis, when the milk from such animals is furnished to the people of cities and towns. to be slaughtered at a public abattor. The Dill was favorably reported.
 Senator Spragins bill to appropr1a,ee $10,00O to aid In the work of tick eradi- cation and the suppression of cattle dis | eases was explained to the caucus by Dr. c. A. Cary of the Auburn Polytechnic in stitute After some discussion the eau | GUS gave the bill its favorable recom- mendaton.
 The next bill reported by the sub-com- T mittee was Senator Morrow's bill to pro vide for the payment of funds due resi- dents and subjects of foreign countries derived from the settlement of estates or from the sale of lands for division. The bill was favorably reported.
 Senator Loveace's bill to repeal an act | providing for maintaining and keeping in repair the public roads of Escambia coun- ty was next given favorable considera- tion by the caucus.
 MT. Jenkins of Baldwin insisted In his | bill to require each tax collector to visit each voting box instead of each. pre- cinct A motion was made by MT. Mer- mtt to table.
 Mr. Jenkins cried: Stand by the TOOK. ! His request did not go unheeded, and the rock" prevailed.
 To Take Convicts From Mines
 Mir. Williams of Barbour moved to re- port favorably the bill providing for the removal of state convicts from the mines and putting them to work on the public roads MT. Williams made an earnest plea for the protection of the convicts, declaring that 1t was a disgrace to the state to force the convcts to work in the mines.
 This Is blood money,' said MT. Dar- den of Blount "and it is wrong for this great state to extract it's revenues from money gained by this source of labor. MT. Darden insisted that 1t was wrong for the state to drive its convicts to work in the mines of, the sttae, when the chances were that their health would be impaired, and that many of them would never come out of the mines alive.
 Revolutionary
 MT Mulkey said 1t was all right to en- tertain sentimental notions, but it was fundamentally wrong to pass the bill In l it's present form. He said the bill would disrupt the whole convict system and that the. legislature could not afford to rass such a drastic measure this late in the season.
 Mir. Pitts said that a great portion of the public school fund came out of the | revenues derived from the employment of state convicts.
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