The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-08
NO COMMENT BY
 LOCAL OFFICIALS
Industrial Men Do Not Believe Harri- son Has Pictured Typical
 Situation

The published testimony of Shelby liar rison social investigator of the Survey magazine, regarding the "brutaP' treat ment of convicts at Rodgers Hall, Mine No. F of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company, was read here with in- terest yesterday. Officials of the Ten nessee company, whose reputation for the humane treatment of its convicts is locally well established, passed up the testimony with a smile, but with no comment. They assume the position that truth is mighty and will prevail
 Officials of the Pratt Consolidated Coal and Iron company, to whom interviewers turned for a statement as to their end of the controversy, said the work of MT. Harrison and his zeal for the uplift did not concern them. No comment was given.
 The testimony of MT. Harrison had to do with rumors he heard at No. 12 as to the nogging of convicts and subsequent inspections of the marked felons made by MT. Harrison personally. The witness before the Stanley committee, which has been for months prying into the Steel corporation activities, was in the Birming ham district several weeks last summer. He was shown considerable attention by local industrial men and discussed with them the system of convict labor in this state and the treatment given them. He was shown through Rodgers Hall by an attache of the prison, but not by any of ficial of the company. The latter course was pursued for obvious reasons. He was allowed to get first hand information as To the operations without any hindrance.
 As is well known the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad company gave up the state convicts assigned to No. 12 January l, and the men were turned over to Ban ner mines now operated by the state of Alabama. The announcement of that fact from officials of the company carried the additional information that the company would not bid for convicts again.
 The other lessees of convicts include the state, the Sloss- Sheffield Steel aud Iron company. the Pratt Consolidated, the Red Feather Coal company and the Bessemer Coal, Iron and Land com pany in the industrial district. Numer- ous farms and turpentine camps work convlcts. The time is said to be near when the working of convicts in this district by industrial companies will cease altogether as the companies are very tired of the odium cast upon the product of companies employing them.
 The industrial men and thoughtful citizens of Birmingham who are more Of less familiar with the convict situ- alton here as it applied to the Ten
 
 to the Pratt company are unwilling to believe that MT. Harrison has picked out typical situation. Officials dis cussing the matter yesterday informally pointed out that convicts as rule are not made of tissue paper. are not wont to work, are rough and some times desperate. and that an assigned task does not suit them al times. All of which, 1t is claimed, renders it all most imperative that a system of pun ishment be allowed.
 The laws of Alabama recognizing this absolute need in the handling of convicts, has designated the number of licks a felon may receive for re- fusing to perform his required labor State inspectors see that the tasks are not too great. medical examiners see that the physical man is equal to the task, and it is the accepted opinion here that corporation officials would look with utter disfavor upon any un- just or brutal treatment of the men. The state inspectors invariably desig- nate the punishment, it is claimed.