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

| We also recommend the building of a nurses home, to harmonize with the new structure of the separate wing. The building now used for the nurses home is not fit for human habitation. In it are rooms no larger than 10x12 or 12x12 with four beds, four trunks and one dresser, sup posed to be occupied by four nurses. In one very little larger than this are seven beds, seven trunks and one dresser. There were no chairs, and the nurses were compelled to sit On the beds. Ventilation in all the rooms is exceedingly bad. In case of fire on the ground floor, the occupants upstairs could not escape. This con d1tion, however, we are assured will be changed as soon as the univer- sity building, adjoining the Hillman hospital, can be put in condition to accommodate as many as 55 of the staff.
 | We have had before us the indi- vidual members of the board of rev enue and the city commission, with a-yiew to getting this work com pleted, and we want our solicitor and the incoming grand jury to follow up this work and see that it is car ried to completion.
 We recommend that the board of revenue purchase metal lockers for q in the basement of the present hos pital. There evidently is room enough I'but sufficient and suitable lockers have not been built for some reason. and the patients clothes are wrapped in paper and piled up on tables pr boxes where there is not room in the present pigeon holes for them In as much as the patients of the Hill- man hospital are charity patients, we believe that more consideration should be given to their wearing apparel and personal effects.
 General conditions are good, and from our investigation we believe those. in charge are doing a good work. We requested the board of revenue to repair a leaking roof which was causing those in charge a great deal of trouble, and the same has been repaired.
 We do not believe that the present building is suitable one for the guidance of girls and boys who ma y be unfortunate enough to have to go to the juvenile court. The surround ings are "too much iron and steel" and we do not believe have a tendency to elevate the mind of anyone being tconfined therein. We do not believe that the fact that girls must take a 4 bath in the presence of others is con ducive to the elevation of their mor- als, and that the toilets should also have a. door for the privacy of those occupying it. With small expendi- ture of money we believe these two conditions can be. corrected.
 RosedaIe Convict Camp.
 This camp is used exclusively for negro prisoners, and is in good con dition with the exception of leaky roof over a part of the building. This matter was called to the attention of the board of revenue and they stated | that it would be remedied at once. The camp as whole was clean and of the prisoners.
 TrussviIIe Convict Camp.
 In general, the conditions at this camp were good, and it seen.s to be kept in first class condition. The grand jpry had dinner there, and we were told that we were served an average dinner, WI ich we think was 1 excellent.
 We found at the Trussville camp one man presumably suffering from tuberculosis. We were told by the warden that this man would be moved to the hospital the following day.
 County Aims House.
 On the whole, we found general conditions fairly good. Ventilation in some of the wards is not as good as it should be, especially in Ward No. 1, for white women, and Ward No. 3, for white men. Several of the bath tubs and toilets, as well as the bathrooms are not cleaned as thor oughly as they should be. The kitchen and dining room were In good condition, and the inmates all report plenty of good, wholesome food is be- ing furnished. The refrigerator is the only thing that showed condi- tions which we severely criticize, and it must be kept clean and In better condition or it will prove a menace to the health of the inmates.
 The buildings are old and inade- quate, and veritable firetraps. Gem eral conditions cannot be greatly inn proved until the county builds a new aims house, and we heartily recom- mend building new fireproef build ing for the protection and care of the county's wards.
 The dairy should be kept clean and in better condition throughout.
 The rear porch of the white ward is in a weakened condition and must be repaired at once.
 County Farm.
 Conditions throughout the kitchen, dining room, sleeping quarters, laun- dry, machine shops, and, in fact, glad to commend those in charge of the farm.
 Alabama Boys' Industrial School.
 We commend very strongly the conditions of the Alabama Boys In dustrial school. The health condi- tions are excellent, and at the time the grand jury made their visit there were only two boys in the hospital. and these were there for the correc- tion of some small physical defect. At that time there were 355 boys en- rolled.
 We inspected the two new btild- ings which have just been completed. One of these buildings is a chapel donated by Mrs. T. G. Bush, and the 1 like a hone as it is possible to build l one. We cannot help being inn pressed with the very evident ten dency to throw around these unfor- tunate boys the simple little things that we find in every home, and the absence of the steel and concrete.
 There has also been completed a 'l gymnasium building which has not yet been equipped, owing to lack of l funds. We think the gymnasium will greatly add to the pleasure of the boys as soon as it can be equipped.
 We wish to commend the work of the boys of the Alabama Boys Indus- trial school for the building of a swimming pool and other buildings which they have taken part in erect ing this year. It probably would be of interest. to the public to know that through the efficient manage ment of MT. Weakley practically all of the wearing apparel Is made on the place, and practically all of the food they eat is grown on the farm. State Training School For Girls.
 The grand jury visited on Novem- Der IS, 1923, the State Training School
 - Be Repealed