The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-10-14
GOVERNORS ACTION
ON CONVICT NATTER
DEFENDED BY ROGERS
Conventiog Hears His Words
in Silence-John Craft Is
Reelected President of
Association and Other
Officers Chosen

Scattering to the four winds went 52S
delegates representing As counties of the
state Immediately upon the adjournment
OF the nineteenth annual convention of
the Alabama Good Roads association yes
tel day afternoon Final adjournment
came at o'clock in the afternoon inn
mediately after the adoption of the res
olltions reported by the committee on
resolutions.
1t was generally conceded to have been
the most successful convention of good
roads enthusiasts ever held in the south,
and the movement has received great
impetus in this state through the fact
that so many of the constructive citizens
or the state were in attendance this year
at the annual meeting
Yesterdays proceedings consisted large
ly of hearing the addresses of various ex-
perts. The annual election of officers also
took place, but the feature of the entire
convention was the bitter fight staged
before the committee on resolutions by
friends of Gov Charles Henderson against
the delegates going on record in favor of
pie cling the convicts on the public high
ways. Former United States Senator
Frank s. White finally gained a signal
triumph for the abolitionist forces, and
the Alabama Good Roads association is
again emphatically on record as favoring
the removal of convicts from the mines
and placing them on the public roads Of
the state.
Rogers Defends Governor
An indication that Governor Hender-
nj 10 I'll. ~.
tenor of opinion of the good roads dele
gates in regard to the leasing of con-
victs came yesterday morning. when John
A. Rogers of Sumter county, a member
of the last Legislature and one of the
leaders in the fight to keep the con-
victs in the mines. made 10-nnute
speech in defense of the action of Gov
ernor Henderson on the convict question.
The remarks of Mr.. Rogers We're receivd
in impressive silence.
Shortly before noon the committee on
resolutions met and 1t was then that
the fight was staged on the resolution
to take the convicts from the mines. The
abolitionists found that unless something
was quickly done an adverse report on
the convict question slated. AS the
Alabama Good Roads association has
been on record for over 10 years as fav-
oring the placing of convicts on the pub
lie roads, the danger of reversing itself
was quickly felt, and the necessary pre-
cautionary measures were taken to the
effect that at $3.50 o'clock yesterday after
noon the following resolution In regard
to the convicts was finally adopted
Resolved, That it Is the sense of this
convention that the state and county
convicts be taken from the mines, lumber
camps and other places wnere they are
being worked under lease or hire and
worked upon the public highways"
The fight against the resolution was
made by John A. Rogers of Sumter coun-
ty. E. N. Loveess of Escambia, T. w.
Nichols of Mobile and j. B. Lawrence Of
Baldwin
Against these adherents of Governor
Henderson, former United States Senator
Frank S. White. white-haired and with
flashing eyes, Numbered his denuncia-
tons and finally achieved MS point when
W. w. Brandon of Tuscaloosa changed
his vote and came into the camps of the
abolitionists The vote of the commit
tee on the convict resolution was to 7.
Resolutions Adopted
The resolutions that were adopted by
the committee and later unanimously by
the convention follow:
we, the committee on resolutions APP
pointed by the Alabama Good Roads assoc
citation, after proper consideration of the
resolutions referred to it, and after due
consideration thereof, report favora bly,
the following resolutions, and recommend
their adoption by the conventions:
Whereas. There is an organized effort
to reduce first-class postage from cents
to cent: and.
FIRST.
Whereas, the gross receipts to the
postoffice department. OF first-class mail,
is estimated to be $76.0o0.OO0 per annum,
and II reduced to l cent. it would curtail
the revenues of the government to the
extent of about $36000.0O0, and will inure
to the benefit of few and no. to the
masses; and,
Whereas the mail and parcel post is
largely delivered and collected over the
public roads of the state:
Now, therefore, be it resolved, That we
favor the retention of 2-cent postage for
first-class mail matter, as q nucleus
Continued ON Page Twelve.)