The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-19

ana poultry yard and milking house. All the students were then called to the administration building audi torium, where they sang some songs ana informed the grand jury what l they wanted.
 | The school as a whole and in de- tail Is extraordinarily well kept, as clean and tidy looking as could be, and the same can be said of the scholars as we'll as the officers and 1 teachers, who seemed to take as much interest if not more than Is taken l in many of our homes
 however, the four cottages were punt to house 2S each, or a total of IF students, and they have at pres- ent 1S7 scholars or students, and to take care of this number they have paced "A beds in the laundry build ! ins' which is only a. weatherboarded house, without inside walls CT cell l ing, With cement floor and no heat ] at all. They also have cots in the cottages and sewing rooms. They need and should have at once three more cottages similar to the ones they now have, to take care of the present situation, to say nothing of They are now forced to do the washing and ironing outside in the open, heating water and irons like cur great grandmothers used to do. N1hey also need a home building TOT superintendent and teachers with aaequate office arrangements The state should also purchase additional l ground. They now have only 23 acres and should have two or three times that much so they could raise more farm supplies.
 Birmingham made a strong pull Tor this school, but that they now nave It the public does not seem to take any interest; at least not as much as is manifested in the boys school at East Lake. About 20 per cent of the girls are from Jefferson county. Here is an opportunity if not indeed duty of the mems and Women's clubs to aid and assist in this noble work. and lend their moral support by visiting and encourag ging the girls. their superintendent and teachers. We hope one or more of l the clubs will go after the addi- tional buildings and stick to 1t until they are built
 Here bad conditions reach the cli- l max. This place Is almost unbear- able and conditions unbelievable ex- cept to those unfortunates who 1 chance to be thrust therein. This place, right in the heart of a great city like ours is not fit to be called even jail. It Is filthy, the beds a disgrace to civilization and the food l very little better. Every prisoner complains of the quality and quan tity of the food and the way it is cooked.
 Ventilation Is at its worst. The warden's office is not provided with any way to ventilate and should most certainly be provided with a suction fan. The entire jail is dim and dismal looking and should be 1 provided with not only more electric lights but more outside light. This can be provided by cutting more win dows, which we are positive can be done.
 Rubbish and barrels of oil are stored in and around the warden's s office, thereby endangering the en- tire building and occupants in case of fire. These conditions must not con- tinue to exist in this civilized city.
 We condemn most strongly the practice of having men and women occupy the hame room, even though in separate tire of cells, and even though they are negroes. In this jail negro women are forced to lis- ten to language of the most indecent sort used by the negro, and are also compelled to retire for the night and to use the toilet in the same room with negro men. We do not believe that a condition of this kind should be allowed to continue to ex- ist In any civilized community.
 We further recommend that some stationary benches be constructed in the corridors, so that the prisoners may have an opportunity to sit down during the day.
 We also recomm end that suffi cient light be provided over the cook stove so the cook may see what ana I how well food is being prepared for the prisoners.
 And in this connection the grand jury recommends both for the city jail and for the county institutions | where prisoners are confined, that an expert free cook be employed. We believe that the saving in food alone would offset the expense in cured by employing such cook, as well as insuring the proper sanita- tion and well cooked food, and we suggest this be placed under the su-
 pervision and inspection of the health departmet
 Court House.
 The court house is probably kept in as good order as could be expected from the crowded condition, except that in the basement there is en- tirely too much trash and plunder stored or kept in the hall and pas sageways, as well as in the so-caleu work shop. It is not only an eye sore and a hindrance to ingress ana eeress, but an easy and dangerous place for a fire to start. and since the building Is not fireproof ana there are many valuable records not stored in vaults, 1t is important ana imperative that someone with the authority remedy this coalition wlth- | out delay.
 There are few if any of the courts and officers that have sufficient ana ample room or with good lignt anu ventilation. This, however IS I'm. :. possible to remedy in the, present building. But the general dings' . dark and inconvenient condllions' .,, both to the officers, clerks and the general public who are compeileo eo transact business there. is a disgrace to our righ and prosperous county. It is not pleasant or inVltlus place to summons jurors or Wlt nesses. and it is common knoWeass that for a long time many men a,,u aH,' women have made up all kind oI eN- cuses to avade a duty that tises would take an interest in uhaer more inviting environments
 oniy Two offices. e,,,n members of the board of revenue have individual offices; namely, D. V. RalI and Jerry Gwin. The preside1l or chairman should have ana heeu1 a larger office adjoining the gene,a' office of the board, and each or .ise other members should have an ol | flee. It is detrimental to the coun- tvs affairs for so important an or ficer not to have an office where ne
 can be found when wanted, ana where such officers can work ana devote their time to the business or the county. The city commissioners could not get along without an or flee for each member and yet they do not have as much to look after as the county. commissioners.
 We further find that Jerry Gw1n has a large, we'll lighted office from which 1t appears he conducts gen eral road contracting business which it is commonly mentioned he is en-