The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-15
The Salt Lands.

The State owns five sections of salt land granted to the State by the general gov ernment by act passed in lSlS, ana under the patent, we are not allowed to part with them. leased the oil and gas priv ilieges more than a year ago ana the lessees have bored on the lands, but nave found neither gas nor oil in paying quan- titIes. Under the lease contract, the Stats was to have a certain per cent or 9Al oil and gas produced. The borers have spent large sums of money in what has as yet proven a fruitless e1ort.
 The Fertilizer Tax.
 The Constitutional Convention passed a resolution as follows: That is the sense of this Convention that the Legislature. at its next meeting should reduce the tag tax on fertilizers to an amount not to exceed the reasonable cost for the inspection thereof. The ton. paid into the treasury this year, sSo, : 107.s9. Out of this fund. the department is supported, together with nine agrtcul- tural Schools and one experiment station. The cost of the Department ana the schools has been this year $S1, 4S2O4. These sums subtracted from the gross income from the sale of tags have been leaving a- balance of about $S0.000, of which the State treasury has been prontng. 1he $S5. 7.29. total income. has been very nelp- ful in the past two years. in supplying a good part of the State disbursements In your reduction of this tax you Will be called upon to consider the schools wnicn have been supported out of It.
 The Alabama National Guard'
 The Alabama National Guard. as now con- stituted. consists of three regiments of infan- try one squadron of cavalry of four troops, and one battalion of artillery, The Guard IS we'll equipped. Captain Samuel c. Jones, oi the United States Army, was. at my request, detailed to attend the late encampment and he has made an interesting report to his su- perior at Washington. The report is not flat tering to the Guard. He states the conditions as he found them, and In plain language he finds that many officers are plainly deficient in knowledge which it would be very easy fo' them to acquire, and the conditions or the arms and equipment he speaks or in unnat- tering language. His ci iiticisms will no doubt be very helpful and the Guard be better for them In spite, of the critic sms however. he military arm of this State Is in better condition, old guardsnnep toll me, than 1t ever was before. The rank and file Is composed for the most part of men of good character and the coTnmiss oned officers are the most promi- nent and promising young men in their several communities.
 And it has been ready for service for the State whenever called upon. I have had oc- casion to call out one or more companies sev- eral times during the last year and half, and each time thGy have responded with re- markabIe readiness and have fin several in- stances certainly saved the honor and dignity of the State. They may not ''d ess' cor ectly on the parade and they may allow their guns
 
 but when they needed they are on hand promptly and cheeTtully. cannot commend their will ngness or their real effeetivene' s too highly They deserve consideration at your handg. I may say that have an unneces- sary number of companies. That is. sueh a number makes 1t impossible for us to pay transpor tation and other expenses out Of the present encampment fund of SI2.5oo year. As companies get inen Cient, shall cause them to be mustered out, unless larger sum TOT encampmeut is provided. Smaller regiments would not materially interfere with the Guards efficiency. It is ue that we have not a company which may not be very useful, and other cOmmunit es anxious tc have their boys mustered in. which is impos- sible. The annual eno noampment is a necessity to any efficiency at al. We had best use the present fund to care for fewer companies.
 The Adjutant-General in report recom- mends permanent camp 6. ound for the an nual outings of the Guard. I doubt the wis dom of such course. The members now at- tend the encampnents largely because of the novelty of tho new su; poundings, and a per manent place, unless 1t were very attractive,