The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-21

we recommend that the board OF reve-
nue. either provide a new system of
screening for the almshouse or that
they provide some means of preventing
the great number of flies which we find
in the building. 1t may be that this
condition is due to the carelessness of
the management or the inmates, but
the condition should be remedied. no
matter whose fault it may be.
I'VE find upon examination that one
part of the almshouse building was set
aside as prison in which We're con-
fined the insane and incurables who
cannot be taken care of in the state
institution. The sanitary conditions of
| this place were extremely bad and 1t is
| evident that proper care and attention
was not given to those afflicted in
mates who are unable. on account of
disease or mental infirmity, to- give
themselves proper attention. and we
recommend that the board of revenue
dispense with or demolish this building
and erect one more suitable to the
needs of those who are required to be
kept separate from the others on ac-
count of their physical and mental con-
dition. We find that now proper medi-
cal attention is rendered the inmates
at the almshouse daily, and trained
nurse Is In constant attendance upon
those who require her attention; and
the buildings have been supplied with
stiles as are needfuL We examined the
food furnished the inmates and find
that 1t Is sufficient in quantity as we'll
as in quality, and the inmates with
whom we talked expressed themselves
as being satisfied with the meals furn-
fshed.
"Hillman Hospita1-Committee from
this grand jury have visited the Hill
man hospital upon three separate occa-.
sions, and while the new wing of the
building is being completed, the con-
ditions. as we find them, were not alto
gether satisfactory upon the first visit,
but upon the subsequent visits made
by the committees we found decided
improvements in the conditions, and
are advised by the superintendent that
the board of management, consisting of
three members of the board of revenue
and three physicians and surgeons, have
agreed upon the needs of the hospital.
and the board of revenue has agreed to
fit it UP in a thoroughly up-to- o-date
condition and orders have been placed
for the necessary equipment to put 1t
in this condition.: and we believe from
the assurances given us that when the
new wing of the hospital is opened,
the operating rooms, the treatment
rooms, and rooms for the handling of
emergency cases, will be practically all
that is desired.
"The hospital was built quite num-
ber of years ago and very little i'm
provement in the building has been
made since that time until the con-
struction of the new wing was begun,
and for this reason all of the wards OF
tho hospital are and have been for
considerable length of time filled to
overhowing, and the superintendent and
his assistants have apparently given
the inmates Of the hospital the best at
tention that could have been given un-
der the conditions, and we believe with
the construction of the additional wards
with new and up-to-date operating
rooms and treatment rooms that there
will be no further cause of dissatisfac-
ton In the conditions existing at this
hospital.
Public Accounts and Documents
County Superintendent of Educa-
tion--Judge of Probate-Sheriff's Feed
Book-County Treasurer-We have ex-
amined the bonds of all county off,
cials and find them in proper shape
| The books of the treasurer and county
superintendent of education are neatly
and correctly kept.
Vagrancy
Under your honor's Instructions. we
have made diligent inquiry into this
sub ject, and we are of the opinion that
IS or 90 per cent of the 500 or more
cases investigated by us is due to the
large NUMBER OF WoftnleS5, loaning,
able bodied white men ana negroes who
will not work and who are permitted
to idle their time away in the pool
rooms. saloons and public places of tho
county. This condition prevails not
alone In the city of Birmingham. but In
the smaller towns of the county as well
as among the mining camps and other
industrial concerns OF the county.
1--WE believe this is due In a large
measure to the nonenforcement of the
law by the officers of the police depart
ments of the city and the county off,
Gals. We feel that owing to the fact
that the sheriff of the county and his
deputies have been SO freely criticised
for the large number of arrests made
| by them of gamblers and vagrants and
| the charge made against him that ne
| was devoting more time to the catching
of craps shooters. skin game gamblers
and other petty forms of gambling,
| from which SO great number of mur-
ders, assaults with intent to murder
and other forms OF assault spring, that