The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-10


 Maj ! A German, one of the state examiners of public accounts, who is en gagged at the present time in check ing up the books of officials of Jeffer- son county. has n scheme for legis- lative attention, which, If adopted, ne holds will save the state $S5,000 per annum in the matter of feeding pris- oners.
 At the present time the state pays expenses of feeding all prisoners and reaps a small return only from those convicted of felonies. Major German believes that an amendment to the bill appropriating money for the payment of food for prisoners should be made so that the state will be required 10 pay only for food for prisoners charged with felonies and the counties for pris- oners charged with misdemeanors
 This amendment" he states, would save the state directly a large sum of money per annum and would pre- vent the innumerable arrests for friv- olous offenses which are made at the present time under any pretext."
 Inasmuch as the feeding of prisoners in Jefferson will be a live issue as soon as the new anti-fee amendment goes into effect. the following inter- view with Major German will be os more than ordinary interest: ., Annual Appropriation $130,00O
 while engaged In their work, the examiners frequently have occasion 10 investigate the operation of laws, the amendment or modification of which would save the state considerable amounts of money. One of these laws concerns the feeding of prisoners.
 "This costs the state over s15o,oo0 annually.
 Under the present law, approved April 8, 1911, sheriffs receive the fol- lowing amounts for feeding prisoners: Where the number of prisoners does not exceed 10, 60 cents per day; where the number is over 10, but does not exceed 20, 50 cents per day; where the number is over 20, but does not ex- ceed 40, 40 cents per day, and where the number exceeds 40. 30 cents per day.
 ..Only the sheriffs of Jefferson Mo- bile. Montgomery and several other of the larger counties receive the 90 cents per day rate.
 States Heavy Drain
 "In 1911 the legislature appropriated $13o,oo0 annually. for the four sue ceeding years for feeding prisoners. rr,, fp, Ina fiscal year ending September 30. 1912, was exhausted several months before the expiration of the fiscal year. The expenses of feeding prisoners averages over s10,000 monthly and increases annually.
 ..Prisoners are divided into two classes, those charged with the com mission of felonies and those charged with the commission of misdemeanors Under the present law the state pays all the feed bills of both classes. On conviction the state receives the ben eft of only prisoners sentenced to hard labor for felonies. the counties receive the benefit of all prisoners sentenced to hard labor for n,isdemeanors
 More MisdemeanOr
 "Of the sl30,000 that the state pays annually for feeding prisoners about s45,O00 Is for feeding prisoners charged with felonies, for which the state re- ceives the benefit and about SS5,000 for feeding prisoners charged with mis- demeanors. for which the counties alone receive the benefit
 "A very small amount of these feed hills Is ever repaid the state. never exceeding a few thousand dollars per annum.
 con conviction while the feed bills are taxed as items of costs against the defendants they are not sentenced to hard labor for their payment and where there are confessions of judgment the sureties do not confess for the feed hills. The only reimbursement the state receives where the defendants do not voluntarily pay their feed bills is to collect the feed bills by issuance of executions.
 Prisoners in Jefferson
 While the clerks in the various counties in the state are required 70 tax the feed bills as part of the costs on the conviction of the defendants and issue executions therefor. very few of the feed bills are collected. as over a5 per cent of the defendants are in 
 There is much variation in the amounts the state pays for feeding prisoners charged with felonies and in the different coun- ties of the state. Take Mobile and Jefferson, the two largest counties in the state, for illustration.
 Mobile county has in round nunlbe"s SlGoo population. About 5000 prison CTS are committed to jail annually and the state pays the sheriff Sl2,o00 per annum for feeding them, or 5000 per month Of this amount over 75 per cent is for feeding prisoners charged with misdemeano
 Jefferson county has 225.000 pop ulation, nearly three times the pop ulation of Mobile. and about $500 pris- oners are committed to jail annually. rnly about 800 more than in Mobile county.
 For the past year the sheriff of Jef-