The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-17
JELKS WILL COMER Wants te Dispose of <arplus. mosEssl FOR EDUCATION Recommend a $750, ,000 Appropriation. DecInres That His Administrntion Has
 Been More Expensive Because
 State Had More Money and
 People Got Benefit.

Blount Springs. Aug. 16.-(Special)
 Governor Jelks today indicated that he would call a special session of the Legislature
 B. B. Conner gave tangible evidence of the fact that he will seek the Dem ocratic nomination for Governor of Alabama
 Oscar Underwood gives impression that he may seek seat in the Senate.
 Some big politics were developed at the picnic and public speaking at Blount Springs today at which were present Governor William D. Jelks. Hon. B. B. Conner President of the Railroad Commission; Hon. Oscar w. Underwood. Congressman from the Ninth District, and many others prom inent In Alabama politics. All three of the above men made speeches. all of which could be construed to be sig nificant of much importance in future Alabama politics.
 Mir. Conner practically announced that he would be q candidate for Gov ernor upon the same platform as that upon which he was elected President of the Railroad Commission which pre- cipitates a gubernatortal race between Lieutenant Governor Cunningham and Mir Conner, which promises to be not lacking in interest.
 Governor Jelks gave out the prime purpose of his call of the special session of the State Legislature. and no one can tell how much the trend of events will be turned by the effects of this extra session of the Legislature.
 Congressman Underwood spoke quite at length, his speech covering many matters of public and national inter est, among which were proper adjust ment of freight rates both Federal and State, education, good roads. immigra- ton and the election of United States Senators by primaries instead of by the Legislature. The bringing out and emphatically dwelling upon this ques- tion of the primary method of elect ing United States Senators might be construed to mean that, Mir. Under wood faHy, become candidate For Uhi- ted States Senator from Alabama. The speech of Mir Underwood was very much In line with the policy of MT. Conner.
 The picnic and public speaking was given by the Masons, Odd Fellows and nitizens of Blount County. Many prominent men of the State were pres ant among whom were B. B Conner. President of the Railroad Commission, and prospective candidate for Cover nor; Oscar W. Underwood, Congress- man from the Ninth Congressional Dis trict; W. M. Drennen, ex-Mayor of the city of Birmingham. Governor Will liam D. Jelks said. You have heard 1t said that I expect to call a special session of the Legislature. One of the large purposes had in mind that the cali was to advise the Legislature to distribute the surplus in the State treasury which I figure will be about S75o, 900 when the treasury reaches It's low water mark about December 1.
 My recommendation to the Legisla- ture will be that every dollar of this money be expended in the interest of public schools In the State or Ala bama''
 The Governor dealt at length with the present condition of the State treasury and a comparison Of its pres ent condition with that of years that have gone before with education. and especially the public schools of the State and their imperative need for help. the efficiency and satisfactory re- suits of the present convict system In this connection he stated that the diff ference last year and this year in the net revenue over the net income from the department any other year in It's history was sufficient to defray all the salaries of all the executive depart ments of the State of Alabama. includ- tnK the clerks and other expenses. the salaries of all the Supreme and Circuit Judges and all of the Circuit Solicitors In the State of Alabama, and one year in four would have enough money left to pay for one session of the Legisia- ture.
 He said that he had not figured on this very accurately. but that the state ment was practically correct. In his speech the Governor stated that in the last four years the assessments of the State have increased $75O,OOO. more than for any thirteen years of It's pre- yious history He said that three months after he went Into office the low water mark in the State treasury was something like S50,000. and that this year there would be surplus or something like $750.000 and that this was true notwithstanding the fact that inc tax rate for the last two years have been reduced by one mill. which costs the State treasury about $30O,O0o per year and that moreover the State had expended in the last four years for old soldiers and schools alone per- hans more than $2.00O.000 more than for any four years in its history.
 Must Have School Funds.
 He spoke very emphatically on the necessity for larger school funds and eloouently of the lack of opportunity offered the hopeful boys and girls at this time, and it was In this connec- ton that he spoke of the coming ses- sion of the extra session of the Leg islature and his determination to ad- wise that the entire surplus should be expended in the interest of the public schools of the State. He spoke of an- other change in the affairs of govern ment of the last four years and that was that heretofore that the State and County officials were only examined once in every three to i've years. but that now every State and County off, cial has his books examined by one of the State Examiners once in every twelve months. He held that most of the officers were honest and that by examining their books every year 1t was of great assistance in halping these officers to keep their books straight.
 He dwelt at length upon the addition to the fund appropriated to the old sol dIers. saying that 1t had been more than doubled fin the last four years. and that this year the old soldiers would get over s400,0o0 of the States funds He said that although he did not have the figures at hand the appro- priation for school purposes had been largely increased during the last foin years and that this year the schnnl