The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-15
James weatherly. B. B. Conner, NJ. V


 Joseph, E. w. Barrett and others
 "Gentlemen: Your address of May 11th, which you communicated to me through MT. J. B. Gibson, secretary of the Com mercial club, has been received, and has had a careful and earnest consideration.
 q desire to thank you for the patriot ism, enterprise and energy shown by you and others in providing, under your aus pces, The Alabama Mineral Exhibit and congratulate the state that some of it's enterprising citizens have assumed the duty and responsibility of represent ing Alabama at the Louisiana Purchase exposition.
 Tt is truly unfortunate that the state did not provide for an exhibit of our matchless resources and opportunities.
 What you have done by your individ- ual efforts will rebound to the benefit of all the state, agricultural as well as the mineral and manufacturing interests. am not only willing but anxious to do everything in my power to aid in this patriotic and enterprising movement. To this end I have carefully considered the authority of the governor in the premises and regret to say that there is no law which authorizes the governor to aid you in this matter by appropriating or con- tributing the states funds. Section 72, article IS, of the constitution provides:
 No money shall be paid out of the
 
 by law, and on warrant drawn by the proper officer in pursuance thereof; and regular statement and account of re- ceipts and expenditures of all public moneys shall be published annually. in such manner as may be hy law directed.
 Quotes the Code.
 Subdivision 10, section S7G of the code provides that:
 He. (the commissioner of agriculture and industries), shall also as soon as practicable, prepare a convenient hand book, with the necessary illustrative maps which shall contain all necessary information, as to the mines, minerals forests soils. and other products, cli- mate. water, and water-powers; fisheries mountains, streams, industries, and all such statistics as are best ada pted to give proper information of the attractions and advantages which the state affords to immigrants, and shall make illustrative txpostions thereof, whenever practicable at international and state expositions Section 397 of the code provides that: The commissioner must submit monthly, to the governor an account of the expenses of the department for the preceding month, and an estimate of the expenses for the succeeding month. and, with the approval of the governor in- dorsed thereon, may retain from the moneys in hand, or draw from the funds in the treasury to the credit of the de- partment of agriculture, the amount of such estimate, not to exceed the sum of $500 to meet such expenses, not including the salary of the commissioner and his clerks such estimate, with the approval of the governor. to be filed in the office of the auditor. The travelling expenses of the commissioner and clerks and of the chemist, on the accounts thereof being itemzed and verified before payment, may be paid from tRe money so retained
 Duty of Commissioner. ''You will. therefore observe that it is made the duty of the missioner of agriculture and industries to make when- ever practicable. expositions of the re- sources of the state at international and state expositions.
 You will also observe that the ex- penses shall not exceed in any one month the sum of $500 The commissioner of agriculture and industries, therefore, may upon his own account, or co-operat- ing with you make an exhibit Of the re- sources of the state, provided the ex- penses thereof do not exceed the sum of $500 per month, including the other expenses of his department, not other wise provided for. T have informed the commissioner of