The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-09
For the Good of
 the Community

WHILE Alabama is not commercial institution her annual purchases of merchandise and supplies for the various departments place her among the very large consumers of all kinds of goods and merchandise.
 These figures taken from the report of the state board of control and economy tlled with the governor few days ago indicate the kinds and cost of merchan- disc purchased by the state for the main tenance or the various departments:
 Flour 4,763 barrels; bread, 1O4,7OO pounds; meal, l,512, 700 pounds; Irish po- tatoes, l57,100 pounds; sweet potatoes. 977,20O pounds; rice, 92.68O pounds. grits 76,805 pounds; peas. 289.5 .560 pounds; lima beans, 1850 pounds: hams. l5,33O pounds; bacon, 2,30O pounds: side meat, 532,210 pounds; pure lard. 5.33O pounds; compound lard, $500 pounds: fresh meat, 32O,000 pounds; fish, 6,430 pounds; syrup, 43,110 gallons; coffee. 48,l58 pounds; sugar, 134, ,48O pounds: salt, l06,470 pounds; evaporated fruit. 59,460 pounds; canned fruits and vegeta- bles, S8,2OO pounds; tobacco, 27.5OO pounds. Total value, $52O,464.10.
 Coal, IA, ,545 tons; brooms, AS dozen: mops o| dozen; sweeping compound, 45O pounds; toilet paper, 459 cases; soap, 961 eases; washing powder, 980 cases; gaso- line, 7,6O0 gallons; kerosene, 1895 gal lons Total value, SS5, ,O53.O7.
 Cotton, $500 bales; sheeting and do- mestlc l3O,930 yards; underwear, 3,O68 dozen; hosiery, 2,443 dozen; blankets, 3,315; table cloth, ,198 yards: shoes. l6. 760 pairs toweling, 8,18O yards; uniform cloth, 6,500 yards; pants, 1O,8OO pairs: coats, 1,780; hats and caps, 6,16O; shirts, l2,200; overalls, 40 dozen; ginghams, 19,7OO yards; calico, 2,400 yards; wo- mems dresses, HOO. Total value. S724.- 31173.
 Grand total value of main articles of food supplies and cloth and clothing. S1,329, ,83390.
 Some of the articles consumed at the various institutions are produced by the inmates, among these being potatoes, peas, meat, syrup, canned fruitsHoal cot ton and domestic and sheeting
 The institutions for which these purchases are made are the Bryce hospital for the insane, Mount Vernon hospital, Boys Industrial school, Girls Training school, Mercy Home Industrial school. Negro Reform school, school for deaf, school for blind negro deaf and blind, old soldiers, convict department.
 The largest single item, in money value, is cot ton, S577 300, and the next side meat $159663 The smallest item is calico, $288.
 ToCaCOeS, elCnef sweet or lr1Sn, or both, pro- duced at the Bryce hospital, Mount Vernon hosp- tai, negro reform school, negro deaf and blind school and by the convict department, which pro- duces 37 900 bushels of Irish potatoes and 66OOOO bushels of sweet potatoes
 Peas are raised at the Mount Vernon hospital and the negro reform school
 Pure lard is made at the old soldiers home which also produces fresh meat
 Syrup is made at the Mount Vernon hospital the negro reform school and the old soldiers home, while cereal coffee is produced at the Boys Industrial school
 Coal is mined at the Bryce hospital while the convict department raises part of the $500 bales of cotton consumed and makes part of the sheet ing and domestic used in hat,department and in other state institutions
 Of the mental condition of the inmates of the various institutions the state board of control and economy states that IA per cent at the Alabama Boys Industrial school are feeble minded, "A per cent at the state training school for girls 13 per cent at the Mercy Home Industrial school for girls and 26 per cent at the Alabama reform school for juvenile negro lawbreakers.
 The board states that the federal government is buying, gasoline at 241aa cents a gallon, whereas the state and the counties are paying 261a cents