The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-28
CONVICT CONTRACT l. ID BE EXTENDED BY BOARD OF REVENUE Believed More Remunera- tive Contract Is Being
 Worked On CONNECTS SOON TO BE
 PLACED ON ROADS Difference in Income From Pratt Con- solidated Contract and the Old Tennessee Company Contract
 Is Very Large

The eAIenSlDH Ol lllt AOAAAe'Ne 'eN'0 the Pratt Consolidated Coal company and Jefferson county. under the terms of which the company hires and works the convicts of the county. Will be con oluded, it is probable, on Friday.
 As a result the contract which would have expired January 1, will be extended from four to six months. During that period, the board will continue to send the oonvlcts to Banner mine.
 The contract with the Pratt company was signed in 1908, and was made follow ing the suggestion of the board of rev. enue At that time the board was up in the air" for the Tennesse Coal, Iron X Railroad company had declined to renew the contract which was entered into in 1904,
 The present contract Is not as remun- erative to the county as was the con tract with the Tennessee company. Under the present contract, the county receives sl050 for each male convict able bodied, and over sixteen years of age per month, and nothing save the uplSeep of those under sixteen and all women. Under the terms of the contract with the Tennessee company, the county received for male convicts under sixteen years of age, and all women S10,2o per month, or nearly as much as the Pratt company pays for able bodied male convicts older than 16 years.
 Contracts COntrasted
 In other respects. the present contract is not as good. In the present contract is the following clause protecting the officials who receive fees: "All that part of the hire of each convict which aecrues from so much of the term of hard labor as is imposed for cost of conviction, snail be paid in advance on the delivery of the convicts, and credit therefor shall be allowed on the next subsequent pay ment" This clause was not contained in the contract of 1904.
 In the present contract there Is 10 provision whereby the county can draw from the mines conyicts for the purpose of working the roads. Under the con- tract of 1904. the county could draw from the mines from 25 to 30 eonvicts for road building.
 The difference in the figures of the two contracts is illustrated in the re- ceipts for the quarter ending April, 1907, and the quarter ending April, 1911. At the end of the quarter under the old contract, the county received sl71226o At the end of the quarter under the present contract, the county received S9562. 73
 Better Terms Wanted
 On account of the desire of the county to extend the present contract and not renew it, the intimation is given that the board of revenue Is endeavoring 10 Ob- tain a more remunerative contracts with the Pratt or some other company. One of the ideas entertained and which will be put into effect is that of working the convicts on the roads. Contrary 10 the belief of the people, should the county determine 10 put the convicts on the road, none of those at work at the present time at Banner mine can be withdrawn, for the terms of the contract with the Pratt company provides that the convicts sent to Banner mines shall remain there until the conclusion of their sentences. The board intends to put the convicts on the road gradually, 20 to begin with, 1t is probable and gradually to increase that number as it is deemed wise.
 Before the expiration of the exten don of the contract, the board will have made arrangements for working the oonvicts on the road. Considerable work in acquiring cages and making arrange ments for guards will have to be ac- complished.
 Another point of interest Is that the county might be compelled to pay in advance, as the Pratt company does at present, all that part of the hire of each convict which accrues from so much of the term of hard labor as is imposed for cost of conviction. Inasmuch as the people by their votes have repudi- ated the fee system. it is pointed out that the bandicaps of the above clause will not endure forever.