The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03
Huckabee Says State Will Use Men in Its Own
 Operations
OTHER COMPANIES
 MAY BE AFFECTED
Total Number of Convicts Leased By State 959-Tennessee Company Has Been Working
 About 32O

The suppostion that the state of Ala bama desired the convicts leased by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad com pany for service at Banner mines, and that the prisoners at No. F and No. ? mines of the Tennessee company would be removed to Banner was confirmed yes- terday by c. c. Huckabee, superintendent of state mines of this city. MT. Huckabee was for some time an executive officer of the Yolande Coal and Coke company.
 He indicated that the convicts would be removed to the state mine at Banner Jan uary 1, when the lease of the Tennessee company upon the convicts will be volun- tarily relinqulshed,
 It is stated that the Tennessee company has now at No. 12 mine and at No. mine 320 state convicts. They had been work ing there long before the present manage ment assumed charge of the properties This number of men will be removed and tleir places filled by free miners.
 The total number of convicts leased by the state is about 959 Of this number tho state, it Is said, contemplates using about half when the maximum operation is achieved at Banner. The state has a con- tract with the Pratt Consolidated Coal company to mine coal at the Banner mine and deliver 1t upon cars for transporta- tion by the Pratt company. The state will receive payment from the selling company, it is stated, upon the tonnage basis and not a per capita basis. The general impression seems to prevail that the state, now that it has entered the mine business, will try to get out the highest tonnage of coal with it's men. The opinion Is held among idustrial men that the most valuable reason for the employ ment of convicts is the stability of the tonnage produced. The ordinary work man, especially the negro miner, works irregularly, while the convicts are re- quired to work regularly, and thus the tonnage Is retained at an even figure. Shipments can be guaranteed and in that way the company operating with convicts often has an advantage over it's rivals.
 The state in addition to letting out convicts to the Tennessee company has contracts with the Pratt Consolidated Coal company for the mines at Ban ner. The Bessemer Coal, Iron and Land company now has ITO working at Bell Ellen, The Sloss company employees 2S5 at Flat Top, while the Red Feather Coal company at Lucille has leased 1Sd. The Pratt company and the Tennessee company are the only. two industrial companies that have released their working convicts.
 It is perhaps somewhat too soon to speculate on what will become of con- vict labor in this state. However, most of the industrial companies are said to be dissatisfied with the stigma at tached to the employment of convicts and it is rather safe to say that in time the convicts will not be allowed to work in mines. Considerable criticism has been directed at the system pre- vailing here, it being held that all though a man is a convict he should not be compelled to go underground and dig coal, a place he might not think or going for a livelihood If he were free.
 It is known that the Tennessee cori- pany tired of the criticism and that together with other considerations caused the cancellation of the convict contract due to expire in 1912.
 In connection with the state enter ing the coal business it is said that the fire at Lucille, where a number ,f were burned to death, and the explosion at Banner led the state officials perhaps more than any other consideration to take over the work ing of the men committed to its care.
 The prophets in industrial circles seem to see very important devel- opment to come from the action of tha Tennessee company.