The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-17

the fee of sl0 paid by tiT receiver of a license. He said that the commission had TOW surplus of $4400. He furnished the committee with statement of the business of the commission. and also with a statement setting out the revenue de- rived from the sale of whisky in Jefferson
 He was asked about the Jefferson County Law Enforcement league He couldn't give the initiation fee. The locaI dealers organized the league, the witness said. He denied that w. A. Connolly of Montgomery had lad anything to do fth the organization of the league. He said that the excise commissioners naa met with members of The league The witness declared that he and associates had done all they could to enforce the local option laws and had made fairly good success. He stated that he had not tried 10 enforce the anti-advertising bill passed by the legislature recently be- cause he did not consider such enforce ment one Of his functions. He furnished the committee with a statement show ing that 10 licenses had been revoked and 1s suspended. He stated that no club had been allowed to aell whisky on Sun days
 Passages Are Sharp
 The witness admitted that pr. Mont gomery chairman of the Montgomery ex- else commission. had requested the Jeff ferson commission to aid in paying a fee to Steiner Well & Crum, lawyers of Montgomery, for defending the local op- ton laws
 "Dr. Montgomery thought that as this defense was a defense of all comslis sions, the expense should be prorated I agreed with him. My associates dis agreed. and we did not join in the ex- pense."
 Senator Denson asked MT. Agee If he employed "stool pigeons" MT. Agee de- clared that he knew nothing of "stool pigeons"
 T don't understand such slang," he said Please talk plain English"
 The senator attempted to explain the term "stool pigeons"
 "Oh," said the witness, "you mean sneak who slips around and peeps through keyho1es. No. We have hired no such men, We use higher type of men, MT. Denson.'
 Bonner and Agee
 Senator Bonner then attempted to find out whether or not the local com missioners were earning their sal aries.
 In reply to the question:
 What do you dor"
 The witness replied: Enforce the Smith bill carrying out its every pro- visson. Why, have you never read the Smith bill?" he asked Senator Bonner.
 "As much of 1t as I could stand" the Senator replied
 Well, you should read that bill be- fore asking me what am doing, Senator Bonner" the witness retorted.
 Later the witness stated that he worked regularly, although his associates who receive less money for their services do not give their entire time to the office.
 Life at Flat Top
 Dr. John w. Watts, physician at Flat Top, said that he received from the state $125 and from the Sloss company $1O0 per month.
 Around 500 convicts are at Flat Top, the witness said. He said that during the last 90 days one convict displayed signs of having been cruelty treated By some man in the mines.
 The witness said that he thought it unwise for man to attempt to serve three masters, the state, the company, and the convicts. He explained that often the company thinks he keeps convict in the hospital too long on small in- juries. He stated that a first class county man working with a machine gets 10 tons per day, while a state man. work ing with a pick, gets only five. Men are docked for rock in coal.
 Health, he said, is good, though there Is some sickness and an unusually large humber of injuries.
 Asked what caused the injuries, the witness said that the men told him vari- ous things-falling rock or coal struck by a car, and the like.
 'The convicts get a good balanced diet, believe" he said, telling what they get.
 There was of dope to some ex- tent' he added. T think they got it out of my drug room. I believe, however, I have put an end to this, as the opiates are now locked in my private desk. Five or six deaths occurred last year"
 The witness stated that he had already recommended that no doctor be allowed to work for the state and company at the same time.
 He said that the clothes of whites and blacks were washed together and that a white man might wear this week the clothes negro wore last week.