The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-19
Pratt Consolidated Has No
Control Over Scales at
the Banner Mines,
He Declares
STATE is PAID BY THE
COMPANY ON BASIS OF
RAILROAD WEIGHTS
Mine Scales Used Only to See That
Each Convict Does His Task.
Allowance Made for Slate.
Says State Has Not Lost
by the Contract

"The statement that false weights hav'
been used in connection with the charge
that this company is largely indebted t.
the state by reason thereof is an out
rage declared George b. Mccormack
president of the Pratt Consolidated Goa
company, in a signed statement made
state provided that the railroad weights
at the nearest scales shall govern settle
ments. The coal is weighed at Minera
Springs by the Southern Weighing and
Inspection Bureau, under the supervision
of Mr. j. e. Bush of that bureau. The
state has a representative there to look
after it's interests. We have none.
1--WE have no control over the mine
scales and no interest whatever in them
They are only used to ascertain the
quantity of coal mined by each convict
We have no representative at the mines
and know nothing about the correctness
of the scales"
Mr.. McCormacks statement sets Out
that the state has absolute control over
the conyicts at Banner mines, feeding
clothing and guarding them. The convict
department., he SAYS, buys everything used
sat the mines aud emnloys every free
man.
Mr.. Mccormack declares that the Pratt
company guaranteed the state net profit
per man equal to that which was made
by the convicts while in the mines OF
the Tennessee company and says that this
contract has been fully lived up to.
Mccormack Makes Statement
The statement of the president of the
Pratt Consolidated Coal company in full
is as follows:
Some very sensational reports involving
the integrity of the management of the
Pratt Consolidated Coal company ap-
peared in one of the evening papers to-
day. Many of the statements were alb
solutely false and there was no excuse
for their publication. No effort was made
to learn the truth.
Startling and sensational headlines
we're published over statements, which
when carefully read, showed the reckless
disregard for accuracy, and the inclina-
ton to indulge in sensationalism, even al
the expense of the character of reputable
people.
THE contract between the company and
the state is a matter of public record
An inquiry at the office of this COM
pany would have developed the falsity OF
the newspaper article. But it appears
that the facts were not wanted
Nothing Lost by State
The facts are that the state has not
lost one cent on account of the contract
with this company the statement that
this company has proflted by false weights
is maliciously false or made through
gross ignorance; the statement that the
convicts have been given too heavy a task
is not supported by the facts; the state
ment that this company works the convicts
under lease from the state is not true
Under our contract the state has en-
tire and absolute control over, the con-
victs. 1t feeds. clothes and guards them
The convict department buys everything
used at the mines and employs every
free man at the mines from warden dowr
to day laborer. The convict department
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