The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-27
STATE MOULD TAKE OVE E PR|SONE RS. UNDER NE W PLAN
Another Measure Proposes Use Of Convicts In State
 Printing Plant
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU l
 THE AGE HERALD MQOtROT0Pry Ala ,Tuly 26 |

Abolition of the system whereby counties are permitted to lease or hire their own convicts was pro- posed in an administration bill which was introduced in the house of rep resentatives Thursday by Represen- tative c. W. Ashcraft of Lauderdale. This bill provides that tho state board of convict supervisors shall take over all county convicts and ar range for their service.
 This is the first administration measure submitted to the legisla- ture since the adoption of the Long resolution which expressed the sense" of the legislature that there should be no convict lease legisla- ton during the present session.
 Representative Ashcraft presented the bill to the house at the request of Governor Brandon. The bill was written with approval of the Cover nor. Under it's terms the board of convict supervisors would receive all county convicts and would handle them as state convicts are handled. The counties would notify the state board and it would arrange for the transportation of the convicts to the points where they were to be worked, The convict departm would pay actual expenses of the convicts and would pay any profit to the counties.
 At present the Pratt Consolidated Coal company is using county con victs at it's coal mine at Wegra un- der contracts it made with the boards of revenue of the counties.
 The enactment of the Ashcraft bill would abrogate the contracts and would put the duty of providing for the working of county convicts in the board of convict supervisors.
 Proposes Printing Plant.
 Another proposal for working con- victs was made Thursday for intro duction in the senate and house of the bill providing for the establish ment of a state printing plant at Kilby prison by the board of con- vict labor in the printing of all re- ports. documents, pamphlets and other articles for the state depart ments. This was written by Senator c. Ernest Jones of Barbour and was introduced by him in the senate. A copy of the bill was introduced in the house by Representative k. c. Glover of Henry
 At present all state printing is done by private printers under contract with the state board of convict sup ervisors, formerly of the state board or control ana economy. senator Jones contends that the state can construct it's own plant at Kilhy pris- on and can print all the blanks, books, records, pamphlets and other reports needed by the state depart ments. His bill would give the board of convict supervisors authority to make a charge against each depart ment for all printing, the charge con- templating reasonable profit to the convict department for the labor of convicts. However. the profit would be merely a bookkeeping one as the money would remain in the state treasury.
 ssg T The opinion was expressed in. legis- lative circles Thursday that the ad- ministration will favor the passage of the printing bill. Under the bill the convict department would con- struct the plant with convict funds when in the opinion of the officials sufficient funds were available.