The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-27
DAVIS APPROVES BILL

Approval of Repre- resentative c. W. Ashcraft's bill providing for state voiced by w. c. Davis of Jasper, member of the legislative commit tee and of the statewide campaign, although declaring that Senator Brewers bill along the same line to be a better one.
 The organizations and individuals now seeking to end the inhuman and indefensive convict lease system of Alabama will be encouraged by the introduction of this bill which seeks to give better protection to county conVicts, said MT. Davis.
 "The statewide committee has urged that such law be enacted and be operative until the lease system ends. Before the legislature recon vened a committee was appointed by the statewide committee to pre- pare bills, to end the convict lease system at the earliest practicable date during the present administra- tion and to give better protection to all convicts during the time, which we hope, will be short, the lease system endures.
 zone of our bills is to some extent in line with the Ashcraft bill. A much better bill has already been introduced by Senator Walter Brewer.
 "Unless soon introduced from other sources our legislation will cause to be presented to the leg Olner bills for the purpose. while the lease system remains of making of such system more humane and giving bet ter financial protection to the state and counties"
 Seek IO-HOur Day.
 Among our bills" said MT. Davis "is one to make ten hours maxi mum days work for convictS working in coal mines. Ten hours is really too long to work men Gree labor never works so long), in coal mines of the kind where convicts are now employed At some of these mines the coal is so thin that the convict must perform his task lying on his side and under conditions both un- healthy and dangerous: However limit of ten hours will give some relief.
 Another of our bills requires the lessees to pay the same price for the convicts that such work would cost if done by free labor. We expect active in opposition to this bill. Its enactment would chill the interests of the lessees in continuing the pres ent system. Why should there be any opposition. other than by the lessees, to this bill? Since the state state not receive full pay for his labor?
 O o O
 Gives Governor Authority.
 Another of our bills seeks to make clear the authority of the gov ernor and convict department as to the working of the convicts when the system of leasing of state and county convicts ends. This bill ex- pressly confers unlimited authority. which we believe now exists, to work convicts when the lease system ends, in such way as may be found by the governor and the convict department to be most humane to the convict and their fapilies and advantageous to the state |and counties. With the example of AZ other states as guides the officers of Alabama, so empow- cred, can find or devise a modern system that will be self sustaining and serve to reform, rather than to make worse the convicts of Alabama, and aid in a material way their indi- gent families.
 Our organization is seeking re- suits, the chief being the cary end ing of convict lease system, and will give active support to all such meas ures as tend to that"