The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-12
STATE ABANDONS
 THREE CONTRACTS
 0F PRISON LEASE
By FRED H. GoRMLEy

Montgomery, February 1l-(Specia.) As a result of the policy of news sup pression established by the state con- vict department, few persons in Ala bama knew until Monday that the state on December 3l abandoned three con vict lease contracts and transferred the convicts to other mining camps of the state. Contracts for the use of convict labor in the coal mines of the Red Feather Coal company at Lucille, the turpentine camp at Shreve and on the highways of Geneva county expired December S1, 40 days ago, and the state convict department declined to renew them.
 During December 166 convicts were used in the mines at Lucille, 42 in the turpentine camp at Shreve and 2 on the roads of Geneva county. It is un- derstood the decision of the state not to renew the contracts resulted from the unusual demand for convict labor at this time and the desire of the state to concentrate all convicts as much as pos sible, thus reducing the overhead ex- pense of maintaining the convict sys- tenn
 N of the three camps was made public by the convict department. In fact, w. F.. Matthews of Montgomery, formerly merchandise broker, who succeeded F. J. Rogers as president of the board or convict inspectors, counsels only 10 himself on all matters, and then after having so counseled, maintains silence Under the present system, newspaper has as good chance of obtaining in- formation about convicts from the de- partment as Texas rabbit has of being elected president of the United States.
 Even the escape of convicts is no longer given to the newspapers, despite that fact that the publication of es- capes puts all officials on notice and aids in the recapture of the criminals. For months it has been almost impossi- ble to obtain information about convicts, especially such news as the killing of convicts while trying to escape or the killing of one convict by another.
 J. w. Mcqueen head of the interests of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron company, and attorneys conferred with the convict board s president last week about a matter in connection with the company's contract. No one knows what was done except that the contract was either renewed, extended, amplified or construed.
 MT Matthews was asked by a news paper reporter at that time about his attitude toward the newspapers of Ala bama and what information might be published. He replied: You can print anything you can get out of this de- partment''
 Taking him at his word, the Montgom- cry bureau of The Age-Herald after 4D days of literary fasting is able to verify the fact that the lease contracts were abandoned and that the convicts are now safe in other mines and lum- Der and turpentine camps.
 It may be interesting to many persons to know that during the latter part of 1915 or early part of 1916 the state con vict department made new contracts for the leasing of great majority of the convicts and that the newspapers up to the good day. February Il, 1918, had been unable to say what prices were being paid by the leasees for the labor now being given by the con- victs.
 The censorship is so complete It Is now suggested that when the Kaiser of Germany needs some heart heart talks about how to establish and main tain censorship he might send for his Alabama disciple of secrecy.