The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-25
Latter Criticised His Posi-
ton Against Taking Con-
victs From the Mines
PROPER SANITARY
CONDITIONS FUTILE
Greer Declares No Such Thing in the
State as Convict Lease System
Except Where They Are
Leased to Corporations

OF conNlctS out of the mines which ap-
peared in The Birmingham Age-Herald
Sunday signed by ]. ]. Ray caused Len
f. Greer, associate member of the state
board of convict inspectors, to make a
sharp reply Tuesday. Mr. Greer said it
was impossible to make proper sanitary
conditions and that conviets are being
| treated better in the mines than they
would If they were on public roads.
81 repeat that there is no such thing
except that practced by the county
boards of revenue and courts of county
commissioners where they lease the coun-
ty convcts to corporations, said Mr..
| Greer. This system practiced by the
county is one that has been opposed by
the present convict bureau in this state
from the date of it's appointment"
Greers Statement
Mr.. Greers statement follows:
II regret exceedingly that am forced
by Judge Ray of Walker county to again
give out an article for publication in
the newspapers, but the article appearing
in Sundays AgeHerald signed by J. j..
Ray is so misleading that | feel it a duty
that | owe to myself and to the convict
department to make some reply to, and
in this article Judge Ray has not dis
cussed the point at issue, but has under
taken by sarcasm and ridicale of me to
detract the attention of the people
from the real issues involved, that is
whether it is advisable to take the state
convicts from where they are now work.
ing and work them on the public roads
of this state instead.
Il do not care again in this article to
go fully into the financial part of the
proposed plan for the reason that 1t is
not and cannot be disputed that the pro-
posed change would necessitate the levy
| ing of an additional tax of $2,0O0,000 an
nually against the lands of the farmers
| and the business men of this state. There
are many other reasons why, in my judS-
| ment, the change proposed should not
| be made. Judge Ray and his associates
| seem to have overlooked the fact entirely
| that the constitution of Alabama would
| have to be amended before the conyicts
of this state can be worked on the public
roads, nor is it possible to make sanitary
conditions as good in portable prisons as
they are today in our permanent prisons,
nor do | believe it possible to have them
as we'll treated upon the public roads
as they are being treated today in the
various convict camps of this state
repeat that there is no such thing in Ala
| bama as convict lease system except
| that practiced by the county boards Of
revenue, and court of county commission
ers where they lease the county convicts
| to corporations.
This system practiced by the counts
| is one that has been opposed by the pres.
cnt convict bureau in this state from the
day of its appointment, and the instances
| cited by Judge Ray of cruelty sustained
| by the courts for action OF damage
against said corporation was in each and
every instance where such leases were
made by the authorities controlling coun-
| ty conVicts. The circumstances that he
cites in which | had about 80 convi1ts
whipped at Belle Ellen mines for refusing
| to work is the one and only instance Of
its kind that | have had any experience
with There are more than 800 negro con-
| Wet miners confined at this place, the
! 80 that were punished, the leaders in said
strike were punished in moderation, some
| of them not receiving more than five to
| seN en- lashes. | have known instances in
! this state where free people receive far
| less consideration for refusing to work
| than was shown to the convicts on this
occasion by myself. these instances that
refer to taking place in jefferson and
Walker counties
Il am sorry that Judge Ray took the
| newspaper report of said investigation
| rather than consult the record of the in
vestigaton. He seems to take particular
exception to my shedding tears. | am
] glad that my heart Is yet tender enough
| to cause me to weep over my errlng
! friends and to be sorrowful at his down.
| fall The judge wants to know why
| didn't detect the shortage of Mr.. Lacy
! in time to prevent his escape. and charges
| that had | been as watchfu as ] should
| have been / could have prevented his es-
cape, and asked dersvely of me where
| Mr. Lacey is spending his vacation. and
whether or not he will return. ! would
respectfully ask of Judge Ray If he is SO
grossly ignorant or so blinded by preju-
dice that he does not know that my duties
| were not in the office, that my entire
work Is confined to prison inspection. to-
gether with a general superintendency OF
F.! the states farms. l did not spend upon
| an average exceeding three days per
month in the office
1.-The law passed by the legislat ture when
Mr. Conner was governor made the pres
ident of the board of convict inspectors
the sole custodian of all monies due and
paya BILE to the convict department. Said
law did not require him to give bond. no.
| his chief clerk, Mr.. Lacy. Judge Ray
must know, and l think he does know,
| that Mr. Lacy was appointed to o1fics
scme five or six weeks before myself
never knew anything about the handling
| of the funds, | had no opportunity OF
| knowing my duties being set out in the
code of Alabama, and prescribed by the
| rules governing the department | wai
| not responsible for the money never ham
died a dollar of it, and never saw dollar
of it except that received as salary and
| expense account
| '',rhe Judge says that ! am now hold
| ing a lucrative position, but can never
| secure another. If my memory serves
| me correctly, the judge himself once
| held an elective office by appointment
| of Governor Jelks, ana ii is no fault of
mine that the people of Walker county
| among whom ne lives haven't seen fit TO
| retain him in office.
| "As to the fatal accidents he speaks
| of in the mine at Belle Ellen and Lu-
| cille, would like to state that there have
!been accidents more than once in the
| free mines of Jefferson county that many
I MANY times exceeded the small number
| injured in these two mines, and he
we'll knows that in one mine in Jefferson
| county where this pernicious leasing OF
convicts by the county board of commits
sioners and revenue obtains, there We're
| more men killed in one accident than
| have been killed in all the mines COM
| bined operated by the state, and under
\ the control of the state convict depart
ment for the past 20 years.
| II state again that Alabama is doing
| as much for her convicts as can well
be done They are properly fed, prop
| erly clothed and have physicians who
attend the sick and who look after the