The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-29

That Jefferson county is in an alb
solutely sound financial condition, and
that under no circumstances is it de-
sirable to take the convicts off the
roads and place them back In the mines
was the emphatic opinion of Hugh Nc
Geever. a member of the board of rev.
enue yesterday. Mr.. McGeever defended
the Warrior highway to Nichols Fish
| trap, the contract for which Is to be
signed on September II, and further
stated that within one month the con-
victs would be working at grading the
second Warrior highway to Taylor
ferry
Mr.. Mac" as the genial member of
the board of revenue SIS known about
the courthouse, stated yesterday that
at no time was he in the mood to ap-
pear in the limelight, and that it was
not his desire to create dissention on
the board, but he felt impelled to make
the statement that the Warrior high
way to Nichols Fishtrap would prove
to be a great piece of road construction,
and that to finance that roadway would
mot needlessly embarrass the county
treasury nor WOulQ IL 81 ibc
the use of county funds that the use
of convicts would be forced off the pub
lie roads into the mines.
WILL STAY ON ROAD
1.-THE convicts will stay on the roads"
was the emphatic statement of Mr.. Nc
Geever. "They have done a great work
there in the past four years and are
still doing it,. Within another four
four years if the policies of the pres
ent board are continued by our sue
cessors, Jefferson county will be able
to boast of the best roads of any coun-
ty in the south. And then the convicts
can be used for maintenance.
"Of course 1T has cos ia lot of money
to attain the present system of eff
lficiency in the construction and MAIN
tenance of public roads with county
convicts that Jefferson county has de-
lveloped in the past four years. We had
to house and clothe the convicts, TO
provide a system to feed them. and also
a system to work them to the best
advantage of the county.
Then there was machinery, other
equipment, automobile trucks and
mules. 1t was a vast new business Tor
most of us. But we were elected pledged
to placing the convicts on the roads
and we carried out our promises the
day we went into office and To-Day
within a few months of my retirement
from office, am gratified at reviewing
the success of the humanitarian idea
of taking the convicts out of the mines
and working them to the advantage OF
the greatest number of people
STARTED WITH NOTHING
-Four years ago we started with
nothing. We had roads then and these
were in such shape as to excite only
ridicule and complaints.
"roday Jefferson county can poast
| of cross-county highways to every al
| Joining county. Not only one, but
! three roads are almost completed 20
ladjoining counties. We have zoo mules
an adequate supply of road equipment
and machinery. The 800 convicts that
we use on an average are well housed
and. are fed as good If not better than
free labor of that class We feed and
clothe the convicts adequately and the
system has proved a success from 1ts
very inception.
1--WE are now completing the new
Leeds highway, by way of Lovick. We
have constructed the Mount Pinson
road to Blount county. road has
been built from Jugtown to Norris
and Kimberly and Warrior to the edge
of Blount county. Another road has
been constructed from Gintown to
Walker county. From Short Creek
to Maxine, another stretch of road
has been built and then further to
Praco and the Walker county line.
From Piney Woods to Oak Grove and
Lock II another road was built by
the convicts and then other numerous
roads were constructed about Brook
side. This is not enumerating the
hundreds of bridges and culverts con-
structed by the convicts. Much of the