The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-10
THINGS ARE LOOSE
 IN PERRY COUNTY
Many Business Enterprises Do
 Not Fay License
NEGRO IS DISAPPOINTED
Escaped Convict Was on His Way to to See Minstrel When
 Captured By
 Officers.

Montgomery October S--(Special )-Fol- | lowing close upon the hot roast handed | the tax assessor of Lamar by Assistant State Examiner Sedberry comes a re- port by Assistant Examiner Wilkinson, to | the effect that many business enterprises are being conducted without paying state 1 licenses in Perry county, and that it is | impossible to keep a tax commissioner to | look after the failures. He points out that as these enterprises have never applied | for license he cannot charge them to the probate judge, and suggests that 1t Is the duty of the solicitor to look them up and have them indicted in the only way provided by law to reach the trouble. MT. Wilkinson says that there is consid- erable money due the state from this source and continues: From the best in- formation obtainable there are dealers in cotton futures, operators of warehouses, coal dealers, and one or two corporations, besides others, doing business subject to license in the county and have not taken them out. There have been two or three back tax commissioners appointed, but neither of them has ever done anything. Such state of affairs should not exist in any county"
 The examiner also says that the valua- tion of S3.53 an acre is far too low, and that here Is needed tax commissioner to help get the values up. Tie values for 1903 were 3,524,572, last year S3,330. 6S2, and this year 1t is $362S, ,907.
 These are the officers whose books have been examined: Probate Judge J. B. Shiv- CTS, Tax Assessor s. F. Phillips, Sherin H. G. Whitman, ex-Superintendent K. G. Hoover. Clerk w. T. Harris, ex-Clerk K. H. Evns, ex-Tax Collector w. H. Eng land.
 Disappointed Negro.
 Boston Delbridge, just negro convict. despite his classic name, was made to reel the uncertainty of fate this afternoon when he was taken in by Special Agent Jones of the convict department just as he was making his way to the Montg )in- cry theatre to see Fields Greater Min strels He never got to the door, but in stead was hustled off to the camp CT the state at Speigner until such time IS h" can be assigned to new service at some place of work.
 Delbridge escaped from the camp os the Horseshoe Falls Lumber company at River Falls, six weeks ago, and has been
  since He was serving sentence for grand larceny in Bullock county. and was to be kept by the state great while yet. He will soon be made to get busy again, and will have time to ponder over the sadness of fortune that would take him from the very portals or the giories and beauties of a good minstrel show.
 Governor Recalls Old Times.
 Here is a matter whose success would have turned my winter of discontent into bright summer time," said Governor Jelks today as he looked up from the pages of the journal of the last house of repre- sentatives which he had been carefully coming for several minutes. He had got ten up from the arm chair in his little private office and come out into the space allotted to Private Secretary J. klrk Jackson. as if it had just occurred to him. He looked into the book until the right item was discovered and then made the remark quoted.
 The entry read: Senate bill No. 200, To authorize the governor of the state to purchase with the general funds or the state the bonds of the state and to can eel and destroy them."
 The bill was introduced in the senate February g, 1903. at the suggestion of the governor, by Senator E. F. Thomas of Barbour county. It was referred to the committee on finance and taxation, rom which 1t came with favorable report February Il. It was taken up and passed by the senate, as shown by the engrossed bill and the signature of Elmore Gerrett, secretary February 26, of the same year.
 The bill then went to the house. getting there the same day 1t passed the senate, and was sent to the committee on ways and means. From this 1t came a few days later with favorable report, signed by R. T. Simpson, now supreme court H.. 4. h house calendar and never came back.
 Interesting History.
 Thus is related the history of law that never became a law. through the provis- ions of which the governor might have pretty near paying off the $966,0O0 in bonds maturing in January, and to meet which he has just sold other bonds at 312 per cent, to run fifty years, getting a premium of ? per cent.
 The bill which never landed provided in section l, that the governor, if in his opinion there was sufficient funds in the treasury to justify it. shall buy state bonds to the extent that the treasury will stand, getting the best price he can, and retire them. Section empowers the au- ditor to draw the warrant on the treas urer for whatever sums needed, and sec ton provides that such purchased bonds shall be destroyed by the governor in the presence or the duullDT dIlu treasurer.
 In this connection 1t may be noted that the only thing that prevented the gov ernor from using cash in the treasury it Is now was the fact that there is no law authorizing the auditor to draw the warrant for the money to be paid out It Is pointed out as a remarkable condi- tion that a state may owe money and have money to pay and desire to do so, yet cannot.
 Pension Warrants.
 The state auditor is sending out the pension warrants to pay the old Confed- crate soldiers for the year. The full amount to be expended will be in the neighborhood of s460000. which will give every man and woman the maximum al- lowance as follows: First class, S60; sec ond, $50 third, s4O fourth, s30.
 The warrants will be sent out within the next two or three days and will be forwarded by express to the offices near est the probate judges to whom they will be assigned. It will be necessary for the probate judges to look out for this and be sure and send to the offices. Last week some tax receipts were sent out and many collectors writing for them when they are now in their own express offices.
 By the appropriation of the $100.000 in the option of the governor. which Gov ernor Jelks felt could be done with ease. the old co1dfare of the state rppeiy-