The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-15
GOVERNOR JELKS' MESSAGE
 TO ALABAMA LEGISLATURE

1 sA per cent. In the meantime, and be- fore maturity, the purchasers were to
 have the privilege of buying LID the old
 bonds and having the new ones issued l them, on the new rate, as the old ones 1 were delivered. The exenange of the re- mainder of old bonds not so purchased
 was to take place at maturity, January
 and July, 1906.
 I did not believe the SH basis low
 enough. I thought the state should Goat 1 its obligations at lower rate. and l have declined the several propositions l The time has been an ideal one for ar- ranging old debts. but in this the state la- l bored under the disadvantage of the de- lay the purchasers would suffer in final ] ly closing the deal and the price offered l doubtless was materially affected from this cause. If we were sure that the con ditions of the money market would be as favorable in 1905, it would pay the state | to await that time before closing, but we cannot promise ourselves that these con | ditions will continue. However the possl- | ble depression in the financial centers l can hardly cost us, in this transaction, a greater sum than we would lose by
 bringing on sale, the provisions of which could not be finally closed in sev- eiai years. III Olncr words, mOneyed men, in times of some depression. would, 1 1t might appear, pay as large a premium 1 on the bonds delivered at once as they would in times of greater prosperity for | bonds to be delivered several years in the Future. have thought 1t best to decline l all propositions for the present
 We are paying now S449,O00 a year in- l terest. When the new issue is made we I will pay something above three hundred thousand dollars. But, for the present. you gentlemen will understand in your treatment of the finances of the state, that the fixed interest charge is s224, 5cO, for each six months
 The States Schools.
 There was disbursed for the year end- ing September 30, 1901, for schoos and benevolences, $1, 556, S25. 53 This sum in cluded $176,O0O for the Bryce Hospital, $60,0OO for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind school, and about $50, 900 for buildings at Montevallo. In the auditors report of the above named year, the total sum is put down at the above stated amount T. 56325,33 In addition to the items above there were several others not properly included In the term school appropria- tions." For the year ending September 30, 1902, the disbursements under this head were not quite so large. The di- rect and special appropriations were larger than ever known, however, for any year previous to the one ending Septem- Der, 1901.
 The common schools and the Normal schools received for the year ending Sep tember So 19Oi s952, 719O1; for the year ending September 30. 1902, s965, ,6S5. A; and for 1903, they will receive s9s4 679. .S1 These figures represent the total common and Normal school funds exclusive of poll tax. The new constitution fixes the di- rect appropriation. after this year, at not less than three mills, which, when the expense of collecting has been deduct ed, will leave minimum appropriation of something more than ever went to schools before
 Our schools interests have grown re- gently as never before and there Is great CT disposition to take advantage of the opportunities offered than has been known The school spirit is alive in the state and the appropriation for the common schools which open at the door of the of the hum bier homes should. be constantly aug mented, as the state treasury can afford 1t, other calls being allowed to wait on their superior needs.
 Not only has the school spirit grown and the appropriations largely increased but the efficiency of the common school system has advanced equal to the spirit and far in advance of the funds which we have to sustain them. The other schools, colleges, normal and agricultural, should all wait on these humber institutions niger ones in all the possibilities for pub lie good.
 Special Appropriation for Schools.
 You will be called upon to pass bills providing for special appropriations for various state institutions I suggest that you refer these to their respective con- mittees in the two houses and hold up until later in the session, selecting then. if any of them, the most merltorIous propositions for your approval It some- times happens that the early enactments are afterwards regretted when the law makers, find the states income and it's taxes anticipated, exhausted, are face to face with measures which particularly appeal to them. l have thought it wise to suggest that you bunch those bills which provide for such an outlay from the treasury, bringing them forward later, thus allowing the members of the respective houses to select from the lot the direction the states money should take. Knowing then what the states in- come will be you will be better able to purchase the largest good your money will buy. This recommendation Is not intended to apply to the Girls Industrial for reasons which will appear further on The Agricultural Schools.
 The most excellent state superntend. ent of education, in his semi-annual re- port, suggests that these schools be man. aged by general board with view of delocaizlng them. The localities in which they are situated are so apt to look upon them as private and to lose sight of their larger purposes and possibilities that am disposed to agree with the superin- tendent in the suggestion. Speaking of them largely, think they are not all car- rying out the purpose of their establish ment. They are not teaching agricul- ture, practically or theoretically They are high schools for favored communi- ties general board would establish a curriculum In which agriculture would have most prominent place. If it were possible for us by means of these schools to give our boys and girls some pleasant theoretical and practical views of the growing of plants and intefest them in our most important industry, they would be among the most valuable of all our institutions. No money spent by the state could have such large returns. That they are falling short in respect to the instruction for which they were estab lished is well known to you. If general board Is determined upon for the pur- pose of providing the curriculum. it should be composed of the professor of agriculture of the Polytechnic, the su- perintendent of education and the com missioner of agriculture, all to serve with out pay.
 Again, farmers boy and girl cannot always take nine or ten year course, for which some of these schools. at least