The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-22

It is true that following visit by the
 legislatures Investigating committee to
 Flat Top and Banner mines, the members
 returned to Birmingham yesterday after
 noon as strongly determined to abolish
 the convict lease system as they had been at the hour of their departure. However, it Is equally as true that the members failed to perceive the horrible conditions which they had been told did exist state of affairs comparable. ac- eording to numerous witnesses. to that which prevails in darkest Russia" As matter of fact, the members, while con- tending that the lease system Is wholly wrong, admitted at the same time that the problem was one so large. so formi- dable, so intricate that the man who at- tempted to solve it on the spur of the
 moment would be numbered among the
 most pronounced of all economic blum derers.
 At both the mines the committee inter- viewed the convicts. heard some of them give dismal testimony, saw few backs bruised from recent beatings. inspected the properties and went into the openings out of which coal is brought. 
 Flat Top Visited First Flat Top was the first point visited. The committee was greeted by Warden Dawson Dr. Watts, pr. Mcqueen, MT. Turner and others in charge. The first im- presson gained was that the surround ings were sanitary. The next impression and that. too, was fasorable--was that on Sundays the men are permitted to roam as liberty about the enclosure, sunshine.
 In the kitchen the character of the food in course of preparation was judged good The hospital was given clean bin of health, and the doctors in charge wery highly complimented. Criticism was made of the fact that the miners, on entering the mine, are compelled to walk for more than two miles before reaching the place of labor.
 On entering the stockade, the commit tee was greeted by the music of a piano their savings, had purchased, and which seemingly has given them much pleas-
 ure. The members were greeted by the convicts as saviors. The negroes crowded about them, and through their leaders poured out tale of woe They criticized the food and complained that they were beaten severely and without having seri- ously provoked. Several-and these were county convicts-displayed their bodies still bearing sores from erstwhile beat ings.
 Not Cruelty Treated Warden Dawson and Dr. Watts declared that the negroes were not cruelty treated. The former said that he was required to make a monthly report on whippings, and the committee, having been shown his books, deduced that whippings at Flat Top average 29 per day. pr. Watts stated that during his tenure of office no convict had displayed to him injuries serious enough to warrant him in excusing the
 man from work
 Half Pound of Meat Day The 'slcer," who is a convict himself explained to the committee that the meal could not be thinner sliced than he was 1t the time slicing it. Warden Hall aft erward told the committee that each day he served 250 pounds of meat, averaging one-half of a pound per man per day. In the kitchen the committee found the strap which is used in inflicting cor pora. punishment. It is a "healthy'' in- strumcnt about five feet in length. half an inch in thickness and two inches in width. In the hands of cruel master, it would be carable of taking life. War den Halls record for whipping, how eyer, is said to be lighter than that of any other r1an in the service. He said himself that he did not average one whip ping per day.
 From the kitchen the committee went into the mine. and spent an hour in pen etrating into the mysterious silence of the