The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-02
GOVERNOR JELKS
 TO LEGISLATURE

the state has at Wetumpka. The convict department rents part of the lands it cultivates near the Walls. Neither the rented land, nor yet the land held by the state, in that neighborhood, can be prof. itably cultivated. Most of it is at some distance from the Walls. The lands are poor and broken, requiring large quanti- ties of fertilizer, making little return for the labor and care used in their cultiva- tion. The improvement at Wetumpka which cost a great deal of money are not of any very great value to the state. and certainly not of such value as would warrant 1t in keeping them at great cost in the way of convenience to quarters and lack of fertility in the soi. The state should have one great farm of the very best land in Alabama under supe- rior and great executive officer with quarters for the women, other quarters for the less hardened youth, and others for the consumptives. These quarters might be widely separated I am clear ly of the opinion that the sale of the Speigner and Wetumpka properties, and possibly Prison No. 4, and the further purchase instead. of five or ten thousand acres of productive land would be a most advantageous step. You may be better able to understand the possible advan- tages of the suggestion when you learn that for the four years, ending October 1900 these three farms and mill cost the state, net in the neighborhood of forty thousand dollars each year. For the two years ending October 1902, the same farms and mill cost the state not about twenty thousand dollars each year. It is , fair to say that this year, under the pres ent prospects for crop the loss will not be so great. A decent farm. howev- CT, with the same help wisely managed, would have made money for the state in any. one of the years named
 The cost of such a place as the state needs and it's permanent equipment, hay ing a capacity for the care of maybe thousand convicts would require the ex- penditure of a very large sum of money but | have a fixed belief that such an expenditure would be cheap if in order to make the change the state even had to give away the present separated proper ties. If you care to, you might author ize the appointment of the chairman of your respective committees on agricul- ture or any other committee of farmers to investigate the character of the states holdings and advise you. I take it no member of any committee you would ap- point would himself undertake under con- ditions which confront the state, on his own account, to occupy and cultivate these divided lands.
 The Public Schools.
 Some radical changes can be proftaby made in our present school methods. The old township lines should no longer nec- essarly furnish boundaries for school districts. They do not furnish such boundaries in any other state. A more natural method would be one based on centers of population and natural bar riers. The redistricting of the cou.lt.es might be advantageously left to county school boards. which will be Iroposed, and they would be able to place per- manent school within less thac three miles of every child in the state, at the same time greatly reducing the number of schools, securing more efficient teach CTS at better salaries and for longer terms. MT. Superintendent Hill will prob ably have before you bill providing this and other radical changes. I give my hearty support to the measure to be pro- posed. l am sure you will be greatly in- terested in the effort to secure for our boys and girls the most efficient use of every dollar of the states meagre allot- ment.
 You will be called upon to make a for mai appropriation for the public schools. The three mill tax rate, provided by the constitution and the laws. while colecta- ble this winter, will not be available for distribution until the beginning of the fiscal year, October 1904 The schools have been getting one mill special and S55O,0O0 out of the general fund. The special is effective the first of the com ing October, and you will be expected to provide the additional $55O,0Oo.
 Agricultural and Normal Schools.
 I renew a suggestion made to you be- fore, looking to placing the agricultural schools of the state under one board which would insure each of them the same curriculum and provide similar ag- ricultural requirements while avoiding local troubles so fruitful of disorganiza- tion In the past. The same treatment would be good for the Normal schools.
 Election Law.
 You have on your calendar a bill cov- ering the question of primaries and elec- tions. 1 am not thoroughly familiar with it's provisions but its passage or the pass age of some other like measure is imper- ative. The subject of a primary should not be less comprehensively treated than the election itself. l am certain you will give both propositions the attention they demand. You will not have a matter be- fore you of greater importance.
 The Text Book Act.
 l appointed, under the authority of the act to create a text book commission John w. Abercrombie. president of the State University; Charles c. Thach, pres ident of the Alabama Polytechnic in- stitute, and F. M. Peterson, president of the Industrial School for Girls, with Su- perintendent Hill and myself, made up the commission. On the sub-commssion l appointed J. H. Phillips. superintendent of the city schools of Birmingham; M C. Wilson, president of the Florence Normal school; H. J. Willingham, president of the Fifth District Agricultural school; J. H. Foster of the Tuscaloosa schools and w. w. Benson of Fort Deposit Nine of the men making up the commission and the sub-commission are experienced teachers The commission and the sub commission were in session, together and apart, several weeks. Besides the labor Of the session, each member was called upon and did perform prodigious amount of work at home. I have issued a proclamation, called for the statute, embracing the result of their labors. think the state has reason to congratulate itself. The books were selected without regard to the price at which they were offered. The commission was unanimous in the determination to adopt the best obtainable text books as the children of Alabama cannot afford an inferior book at any price, The readiness with which the cities of the state agreed to the adop- tion is proof that they met the endorse ment of the leading teachers. The cities. under the statute, might have made ap- plication for relief from it's operation, but l believe not one did so. Several asked