The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-05
DIR. Lovelady Says 1t Is Big
Problem, But They Are
Determined to Succeed
MAY BE SOME TIME
BEFORE results SHOW
President of Board Hopes Those In
terested Will Have Patience Until
Thorough Test Can Be
Made Of System

''It IS the biggest proposition that JEFF
ferson county has ever tackled and we
will just have to feel our way along,
stated DR.. r. F. Lovelady, president of
tine Jefferson county board of revenue,
yesterday in talking about the working
Of county convicts on the county roads,
county April l.
'Srhe board wants and will have 10
have the entire cooperation and patience
OF the people of the county when the
plan goes into effect. We have no direct
plans now as to what we will do or at
tempt to do. We can't take any for
we do not know what we are going to
have to contend with. 1t is a propo-
sition which must be worked out itself
and just as we come to IT and any
effort now to tell what we are going
to do or try TO do would be no more than
mere guess work. And then II after the
plans goes into effect we would not 10
some of the things we have talked about
we will be criticized. So for that reason
we cannot talk for publication as to
what our plans may be.
"As | said this is the biggest propo-
sition ever undertaken by jefferson
county. It is going to entail a great ex-
pense. And where there is as much
equipment and preliminary arrangements
to look after as there is in this we
are not going to have much money for
the actual operation during the first
few months.
mot only that but we are going to
have trouble getting the men. When the
plans goes into effect the first of April
we are not going to have more than
about 10 men, I suppose. II must be
remembered that out of the eonviets sem
fenced by the county there is a small per
cent comparatively speaking, which We
can use on the county roads. The wom-
ell, of course, cannot do this work, and
there are many cripples and i'll persons
who are also unable to do manual labor
such as is needed for this purpose. For
that reason NE win have a small force
TO begin with. which we expect Will
grow every month. BY the first of next
year we hope to have at least 100 men,
and 1t will not be until that time that
we will begin to get some practical and
real results from the system.
''The board is unanimous on this con-
vict system. We all believe IL is a
good thing, and we are going at 1t to
make as much out OF 1t as We possibly
cen. We believe in the system in ITS
every feature and we will try to get out
of 1t all it IS worth If the public gives
US little of their patience and CO.
operation after II first begins. It is an
entirely new thing here and there are
many things about 1t which we do noh
know of and will have to meet them as
they come up. There are ether things
we anticipate which we will no doubt
never meet with.
However, it is used in other places
anc we all believe that II will be sue
cess here All may rest assured that
there is nothing that could go to make
It a success which we will leave un-
done. We believe # will solve the con-
Wet problem and the road maintenance
problem OF the county. We believe II
will solve them both at once and it is
10 that end that we will bend our every
energy.
Actual results can be looked for,
VIC hope, by January /. 1914"
fingers daily grip the throttle of the To-
&C motive.
...~<. - -.ff. . 10.