The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
ing at 4 D. m. Monday, July ?, al Headquarters, Hillman hotel.
GREAT SUCCESS or EARLY

GREAT SUCCESS or EARLY
 Due to the fine work of a commit tee from the W. c. T. U. of which Mrs. II. N. Malony is chairman, all the important department stores and jewellers in Birmingham, with one exception, have agreed to close at 6 ?, m. on Saturday. The League of Women Voters is in hearty sympathy with this movement and has sent the following letter to the merchants who have agreed to close early: Burger, Steel Smith, brennan, Ca heen, Sherwin- -Kessler, Hafner, Kauf- man, Hirsch Millinery company. Au- gusta Friedman, Loveman, Joseph & Loeb (close at p. m. on aSturdays). Odum, Bowers & White. third floor, Saks. third floor, Model Hat shop, Herzog- Thompson. A. A. Ash. P. H. Linnehan, F. W. Bromberg. Parisian, Ideal
 Gentlemen: At It's recent meeting. the Jefferson County League of Women Voters passed a resolution of appreciation of your action in closing your store early op satur- themselves to support this splendid early closing movement by doing their Saturday shopping in the morn ing if possible, and never later than 6 o'clock. We also pledged our selves to support you by patronizing this progressive movement, which we hope and confidently expect will become permanency In Birming- ham. Since our city has outgrown the size of a country village, it is only fitting that we should adopt metropolitan shopping hours. With best wishes. I am very sincerely yours. MRS. J. N. HAWKINS.
 President.
 STUDY OF PRISON CONDITIONS
 Mrs. Julia McNutt, of the Inde- pendent Presbyterian church prison committee, and Mrs. Alice B. Lestar- jette, who has charge of the prison work of the Christian Science church, at the meeting of the league on Tuesday gave interesting talks on prison conditions in Alabama. with which they are thoroughly familiar, having done so much personal work among the prisoners. They told of their responsiveness to good influ- ences, and the eagerness of some of them to come back" Mrs. McNutt, who visits at Speigner and other prisons every visiting Sunday. said that there were ten boys in whom she was interested who are very anx- ious to study law so as to have profession when they have finished their sentences. She hopes to ar range a correspondence course for them.
 The league. as a whole, is strongly back of the fight to do away with the convict lease system. There seems to be widespread ignorance as to what are the actual conditions. The following information has been prepared by .Sa statewide campaign committee for sne abolishment of the convict lease system, of which Judge w. l.. Fort Is chairman. and they are published In this column for the benefit of some of the league mem bers who desire more information
 Writing tf the lease system in '19l3. Miss Julia Tutwiler, Alabama's most distinguished woman, said: Alabama cannot afford to be ranked with Russia and Morocco, by other civilized commonwealths. One inci- dent like the disaster of the Banner mine excites the horror of all hu- mane communities. Years ago, pr. Gaston expressed the matter in nutshell when he said cf similar oc- currences: The law condemned these men to hard labor. the state put them to death." And again in 1915, she wrote: Alabama is far behind the least progressive community in this respect (the lease system)."
 Twice the legislature of Alabama has gone on record as being opposed to the system.
 The 1915 committee reported to the legislature:
 After consideration we have been forced to the conclusion that the lease system In Alabama is a relic of barbarism, a species of human slavery. a crime against humanity. Lessees should not have the authority after judge and jury have acted to add punishment which no court in the first instance would have imposed"
 Four years later a committee of the 1919 legislature made a similar probe. and reported:
 Tt Is hard to describe the cruel ties, woe and misery growing out of such a system. Surely we must have inherited 1t from the dark ages. Not even the state has any right, legal or moral. after they are sen fenced, to add thereto cruel and un- just punishment or to place them In extra hazardous places to perform their work, where they will be maimed. disfigured, and in many in- stances killed outright"
 In 1928, committees of men and women representing various organi-