The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-28
CHANCE TO MAKE
 WORSE SITUATION
ffonfinued from Page one)


 ture. are those where from two and hal 70 five times as many deaths from mIring have occurred within tiae lass faw years, as other mines in fhs etaHs of Alabama, operated by ffse lahe
 s'Tha ate agrees in advance, ac- aaranH a reports, to sell its coal at s f8Se ice to the identical owner fHesz r. n the mine is leased, with II any effort to obtain the highest sfiea fa coal by the recognized nietaon competitive bidding. It is aigp aported that the contract oonta pr5vis4oa to the effect
 gosl oa ra DTS need only
 coal ghen they can sell
 fofit. Jf eHis is true, it
 aNrd&n t9 tae state.
 =iuly ual claimed that fl tt- ufias owners, operating no lagH any more elaim to the boy Ehs state th1r any other rItI ihe reports are true, the pro) new contract leaves the eonV4ess- t5 work in the same mines delivers the product of their labors to the identical corporations hereto fore securing it, and deprives the state of that benefit, which every or sanitation in operation should have, to-wit; the sale of it's output, to the person who will pay most for it. It violates the principle of open. com petitive bidding. which legislation has guaranteed in other instances for many years.
 Can Maintain Suit.
 Under the present indefensible contract, the convict who is broken and injured by the negligence of a coal operator, and the widow and or phans of deceased convict killed in the mine has the privilege of main a n in nf ha state. The present proposed con tract, as reported, absolutely takes away this right. This has been ex- pressly held in the case of Harris vs. Henderson Land and Lumber com pany, reported in the S5th Southern Reporter, page SOP. This result of taking away from an injured con- vict, his right of recovery, is so cruel and inhuman, that I do not believe you. as their representatives, will tolerate it.
 It is my Judgment that this pro- posed contract is a step backward. It does not take us one foot closer to the end the great majority of Ala bama citizens desire. 1t shifts the detail of the working contract; the ultimate end is the same The last right of the convict is swept away by 1t. The state has added burden. A few mine owners alone receive the benefit
 This contract, 1t seems to me, Is a a direct blow at the free labor of the state. It gives to certain opera tors a decided advantage over others. It does not even award the privilege of bidding to the coal operators who employ free labor. I thus strikes at the wage scale of the free miner. It seems to me that it would be better to cling to the old, with all it's in iquities and it's indefensible charac- teristics, rather than fly to this new contract, relieving the burdens of a few operators, and taking away the last privilege of the convict
 I respectfully request that before this contract is executed. the people of the state be informed of it's con- taats. I do not believe that you will permit such a contract, and for this reason l have sought to point out some of the evil effects which would flow from it's execution.
 Very truly yours,
 tSigned) HUGO l., BLACK,
 President of the Alabama Prison Reform association.