order that this may be done, it becomes necessary that an offender against the criminal laws should be held until it is safe to society for him to be released. That is, that he has shown by his conduct while in prison, taken in connection with his former life, and the nature of his offense, that he is ready and equipped to again become a part of the social system, and after his punishment has been sufficient to likely deter others who may have similar inclinations against the commission of crime. Punishment for the violation of the criminal laws, when based and construed in accordance with the above idea, places a great responsibility upon the administrator of the penal system. Whether originally intended or not, Alabama's laws pertaining to its prison system, if logically construed, are constructed on that basis, with the Governor as the administrator. The culprit, in effect, is given an indeterminate sentence to prison, with the maximum of his term fixed, and it must rest with the prisoner whether or not he may regain his liberty before the expiration of his maximum term. It is easy to evade the responsibilities fixed by the law and incidentally, the enormous work involved in this department of the State, by taking the position that the courts and juries had already determined the guilt and punishment, and that the verdicts should not be interfered with. Some people are possessed with the idea that juries never make mistakes and that courts are invariably possessed with the same equanimity, free from the petty vexations and influences to which official life seems heir. If one should make a study of the records of the thousands who are convicted, he must be convinced that there can be no such truth as an even handed justice. In the same courts will be found sometimes, the greatest inequality in punishment, and to say that there should be no interference is an assumption that can be based only upon bigotry, ignorance or prejudice. It is not often the case, however, in the exercise of clemency, that the length of sentences which have been given, are taken into consideration. The former character of the defendant, the facts pertaining to the crime for which he was convicted, his demeanor since he has been a prisoner and the length of time he has served, are the salient considerations in determining what action would be most beneficial to society. The penal law as it stands is neither positive nor mandatory, but it places the authority and with it must go responsibility. No other reasonable construction can be placed upon the laws controlling the prison system of Alabama and none other should be permitted to prevail. PAROLES AND PARDONS Many paroles have been granted during the past four years, and, it is safe to say, that others would have been issued except for the inability to give study to their cases. These have been made up of two distinct kinds. The definite, i. e., the parole with a fixed time of expiration, which is in the nature of a furlough, and the indefinite, which is conditioned on future observance of the laws of the State and good behavior, with such additional conditions as may be thought applicable to the particular subject. The law provides for certain discounts from the maximum sentence for good behavior. Paroles are sometimes issued to professional crooks before the expiration of their short term, in order that the long term may be held against them, should he again. resume his former life. In some instances, the paroles offered have been declined. It is remarkable, the small percentage of those paroled who have been reported as violators of the conditions imposed upon them. A violator, however slight his infraction, has never received the second consideration. Comparatively few pardons have been granted. These are generally based on wrongful conviction or the innocence of the defendants, except in cases of the restoration of rights, which embrace entirely different ideas. THE CONVICTS The State had 2,453 convicts at the close of the fiscal year against 2,705 on September 30, 1914. These were contained in 14 camps of which four are mining, six turpentine and one lumber camp in addition to the three long established camps at Wetumpka, Speigner and No. 4 Farm. Two of the contracts under which the convicts have been worked during the past three years expired on December 31, 1918. The convicts who were formerly worked under the contracts that have just expired were transferred to other camps to work under contracts existing at the time, but which were short of the number that the State was expected to maintain in the respective camps. At the present time there are only 10 camps. The expiring contracts barely paid the cost of maintenance under present conditions, as they were made during the time of the greatest depression. The expiration and transfer referred to, will effect favorably the earnings of the convicts during the current year. A much larger number of the convicts were on similar low priced contract work previous to 1918, but at different times during the year, new contracts were made, the difference in the terms of which are reflected in the increased net earnings of the department. The convict department had in charge on September 30, 1914, 2,705 convicts; on September 30, 1915, 3,079 convicts; on May 1, 1916, 3,269, the greatest number on hand at any time; on September 30, 1916, 3,107 convicts; on September 30, 1917, 2,887 convicts and on September 30, 1918, 2,453 convicts. The largest numbers were received during the years of greatest depression and were comparatively short term prisoners, many of whom, under ordinary conditions, would have been sentenced to hard labor as county convicts. The unusual number of convicts committed into the penitentiary during the years of 1915 and 1916, worked a serious burden upon the State. No gainful work could be secured for their employment, but maintenance cost being comparatively low, permitted the department to make a fair showing on earnings, regardless of its many drawbacks. The amount which the department has paid into the State treasury in excess of the amount drawn out during the four years closing with September 30, 1918, was $2,141,662.17. The amount paid in for the last year above expenses, was $775,077.30, which only to a slight degree reflects the present economic conditions. It is realized that the amount of excess cash paid into the treasury above that which was drawn out for expenses, does not necessarily represent the measure of profit. In this particular instance, however, the property has been well maintained and the improvements made in the plant and machinery, will more than offset the account for depreciation. The accounting system of the department is thorough and the expenses have been kept to their minimum. The cost to the State of maintaining a prisoner was no greater for the year of 1918 than is shown by the records of what it was in 1914, or for previous years, notwithstanding the high cost of food, clothing and shoes. The morale of the prisoners in the different camps has been good, notwithstanding the world was in foment on the outside of the prison. Several of the camps have suffered severely from the scourge of influenza, which has resulted in 50 deaths, 22 of which were in one camp, Aldrich, where the epidemic assumed a more malignant form. The camps that were affected, closed their operation for many days and this decreased the earnings of the department for October and November. Our outlook is for larger earnings by this department for the year ending September, 1919. The net earnings for the last six months of the last calendar year, that is, July to December, both inclusive, were on the basis of $1,046,000.00 per year. The earnings for the first three months of the current year, October, November and December were on the same parity, except for the lost time caused by the epidemic, heretofore referred to. The difference in the earnings, however, on the contracts expiring December 31st and the contracts under which the prisoners will work the balance of the fiscal year, will make good the loss of revenue for the time in which operations were interfered with. The department which has in charge this important branch of the State government has had its own problems and unfavorable conditions with which to contend. The rapid increase of convicts at a time when no employment could be procured for them, had an unfavorable effect upon the net earnings at the beginning of the four year term. Contracts were finally secured for the additional convicts, but at prices that paid little more than the cost of maintenance. When prosperity began to return a decrease in the number of prisoners began to appear in the monthly receipts. When prosperity first returned, it caused a material advance in the cost of maintenance without any favorable effects on gross revenues. With the expiration of one old contract and with the steady increase in the earnings of the cotton mill at Speigner, the net revenue began to be more satisfactory. During 1918, when other contracts which had been in existence for several years expired and new agreements were made, the results began to improve as shown by the net profits for 1918. The earnings were much greater for the last three months of the fiscal year than they were during the preceding three of nine months. Referring to our penal system, it is interesting to note the great number of prisoners confined in the jails during any given year and compare them with the number of convicts sent to the penitentiary. In 1918 there were confined in the jails 16,456 prisoners, while the State received only 473 convicts, the balance being fined, sentenced to hard labor for the county or discharged. The number of prisoners confined in the jails during 1918 shows a decrease of 39% in numbers as compared with 1915, while for the same time there was a decline of 62% in the number of convicts sentenced to the penitentiary. Classifying this result we find the decrease in white male prisoners for the year was 32% for negro men 47%; for negro women 7%, while white female prisoners showed an increase of 13%. While we are grappling with the difficult problems of state, we should not overlook this important and necessary department. We should cherish and aim at an ideal in the system that is worthy to strive for. At the present time the earnings of the department can not be diverted from the channel of the State's financial needs, but the time is near at hand, when a large part can be used for rebuilding and enlarging its permanent camps. The Speigner prison should be reconstructed with the view of finally taking care of all the convicts of the State. The plant at Wetumpka is out of date and expensive. It is too remote from all the facilities that become necessary to efficient operation. In connection with the plant at Speigner, the State has a tract of land extending to the river. The power on the river should be utilized by the construction of a power plant and the utilization of this power should be looked forward to, for the industrial development of a complete convict village at Speigner. In this way gainful employment can be secured for them, and at the same time they would all be confined into one well appointed enclosure. The opportunities for the successful exploitation of this scheme are broad enough, both from a humanitarian standpoint and that of financial results, to engage the serious concern of those who may carry the responsibilities when the opportune time arrives. AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT The records of this department for the past four years, in a measure, is a reflection of the economic condition which has prevailed in the State. There has been a complete reorganization of the system of agriculture during the period covered in this report. It has been changed from a one crop plan, to that of a general interest in all subjects of agriculture. This was a change that had been long advocated, but without heretofore appreciable success. The year 1914 was our last big cotton crop and it was during the fall of that year, that the cotton grower was hit so hard. In 1914 Alabama produced one and three-quarter million bales of cotton and in its production bought the greatest amount of fertilizer that had ever before been used. The following year, 1915, the size of the crop was 35% less, and the sales of fertilizer were reduced to 50%. Since that time, the receipts of the Agricultural Department have been gradually increasing, but are yet behind what they were in 1914, more than one hundred thousand dollars. The decline in the amount of fertilizers used is indicative of the shrinkage that took place in all lines of industry, during the period of depression and which has prevailed for the greater part of the last four years. The total receipts of the Department of Agriculture for the year just passed were $122,309.53 and was made up as follows: Received from sale of fertilizer tags... License from dealers Sale of feed inspection stamps. Registration of feed brands. Total. Expense of conducting the department. Leaving a balance of. $ 86,970.00 4,430.00 964.97 804.00 22,020.56 1.920.00 200.00 $122,309.53 30,602.39 $ 91,707.14 The Department of Agriculture and Industries has been more affected by the happenings of this last four years than almost any other one department of the State. Its revenues from the sale of fertilizer tags not only precipitately declined 66%, showing the discouraging condition existing at the time, but direction had to be given to the evolution in agriculture which was evident must take place. The results that have been obtained, not only reflect commendation for the department which has exercised its fostering care, but also acclaims united praise to that great body of yeomanry, for the zeal and perseverance displayed by them, in surmounting the discouraging conditions with which they were |