The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-11

centage of escapes has been notably small. most of them having been recovered,
 The convict working day is 10 hours. and the average number of working days per month for 1915 was 23, legal holidays being allowed the men.
 The cost of the convict day properly estimated with due allowance for all direct and indirect charges necessarily varies with summer and winter condi- tions, it being requisite to transport the convict to and from work safely: to do so during daylight hours. The maximum cost during 1915 was $129 and the minimum cost 94h cents, with an average cost of $1.02 for the year. This is irresp of an assumed lease value which in the past has not been fully realized.
 Cooks and yard trusties" receive for work done on Sundays and legal holidays 50 cents per day.
 The cost of feeding has run about 21 cents per day per man, fresh vege- tables, farm products, etc, being raised and distributed to the camps from Ke- tona farm with material economy and benefit
 The successful use of convicts on public roads, or in any other work, de- bends primarily on working them by the same common sense methods made use of by any successful contractor.
 Too frequently the men placed in charge of convicts are not competent foremen or mechanics and the figure of cost is crudely known, and as a mat ter of fact little considered. In Jefferson county the system is different, this figure of cost, by means of monthly classified estimates, being kept constantly before the foremen, who have been and will be in future held strictly responsible competitively for results on virtual contractors S basis. These montly classified esti- mates for the year 1915 are now on file, together with detailed distribu- tion voucher statements of all dis 'bursements for every item of expense, ! direct or indirect, including plant de- preciation and amortization, also a comparison between the actual convict cost figures and free labor, that is to say the probable contract cost for labor and materials under the conditions ex- fsting during the year 1915. It should be remembered in consider ing the figures of comparison which follow, that owing to abnormally de- pressed business conditions extending over the greater part of the year 1915, free labor was largely unemployed, many contracting outfits being idle, and contractors therefore willing to take work at low cost. It was therefore with
  the board of revenue was wholly3 un- able to consider contracts during this period at attractive and economic prices which would employ this idle labor, for the reason that the present large con- vict forces must necessarily be worked in such large numbers as to leave no funds otherwise available. A fair comparison therefore of con- vict with free labor cost under such abnormal contract conditions, if 1t shows to the advantage of the former, as it apparently does, should be con- vincing, and should establish a useful precendent
 Camps Nos. 1. 2, 3, and 6 during the 12 months ending December 31, in road grading under approximately parallel conditions. The cost record for these five camps is as follows: CAMP NO. 1. Classified estimate free labor contract cost 1915, condi- tons $29, ,454. 67 Actual convict cost of the work ................... 24,191.37 | Credit to convict labor-17.9 l per cent ..,.............$ 5,263.30 CAMP NO. g.
 I Classified estimate free labor contract, 1915, conditions. ...$ 6,029.22 Actual cOnVlct cost or WOrk 4,6V4.Uf Credit to convict labor-23.6 per cent .................$ 1,425.15 CAMP NO. 8.
 Classified estimate free labor 1 contract, 1915 conditions ..$17,5S4.4O Actual convict cost of work. 17.21S.9s Credit to convict 1abor-2.1 per cent ............... 364.42 | CAMP NO. 5. Classified estimate free labor contract, 1915 conditions ..$14, 4,901.S4 Actual convict cost of work. 12,773.40 l Credit to convict labor-14.3 per cent -............ $ 2,128. A l CAMP NO. 6.
 Classified estimate free labor
 contract, 1915 conditions. 7.7so.o2 Actual convict cost of work. 15.601, 80
 Credit to convict labor-12 l per cent ..............$ 2,12S.72 Total estimate contract cost I Gx,o