The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-10
Makes Recommendation to the
New Legislature
FINE SHOWING FOR SLATE
Governors Remarks on Capital Pun
ishment viii Probably Arouse as
Widespread Interest as Any
Other Subject Treated.

message of William ID. jerks, retiring gov
ernor of Alabama. was read to the leg
islature today and is as follows
To the Members of'the Senate and House:
The Constitution directs that the Gov
ernor shall, from time to time. give to
the legislature information of the state Of
the government. and recommend Tor its
consideration such measures as he may
deem eXpediemt," and he shall give i'm
formation of the condition of the state"
In accordance with that provision of the
Constitution /, am laying before YOU here
with matters which it seems particularly
proper should be brought to your atten-
ton, and as well, in some cases recon-
mendng such action as | think should be
taken.
Pensions.
Seven years ago the state was appropr-
atng as pensions for old soldiers about
Sis, 100000 a year. For each of the past
two years the disbursement for this went
nearly to the half million dollar mark.
This money was divided between about
1000 pensioners. The law provides as
follows:
THAT any resident citizen of this state
on the first day of January. 1899. and who
is a resident citizen at the time of filing
his application. who while in the military
or naval service of this state, or the Con-
federate staes, lost a leg or arm, or the
use thereof, or who from wounds
eeived while in such service, or who from
sickness or old age or who Is blind, or
deranged or unable at the time to make
living by physical labor, by reason of
his permanent disability. or who did not
desert the service of the Confederate
States or the state of Alabama. and who
does not own property to the value of
$500 and who has no children living
with him upon whom he can de-
pend for support, or whose salary or in
come does not exceed three hundred dol
lars per annum, shall be entitled to tho
provisions of this act as hereinafter pro-
Vided, and the widow of any soldier or
sailor, and whose husband did not de-
sert the service of the state or of the
Confederate States and who was a resi-
dent citizen of the state on the first day
of January, 1899, and who Is a resident
citizen of the state at the time of fling
her application and who does not own
property to- the value of f3ur hundred
dollars. shall also be entitled to relief
under the provisions of this act, as here
In provided"
Many of the 5000 on the rolls come
under none of the classes named in the
law. They are really not entitled to pen
sions under strict enforc, ment of the
law.
l see that a proposition has been made
to change the law as to allow
vice persion. I doubt il so much fraud
would be praeticed under the law so
With the law so changed 1t would be in
deed possible to make proof that a party
was a soldier when in fact he was not,
but there could not be so many oppor-
tunities for fraud as now.
The legislature can do one of two
things: First, change the law so as to
provide for a travelling pension examiner,
who wiz spend his entire time carefully
looking into the proof of the applicants
and who will be uninf1uenced by local
surroundings. In that event the needy
and INDECENT soldier could have, very
properly from the state treasury a suf-
fcent yearly sum to provide absolutely
for the necessaries of life.
Second, change the Law so as to provide
a service pension. With any sum the
state can now appropriate under the best
possible circumstances this new PROPOSE
tion would certainly not increase the
amount of individual pensions, which for
the last two years have been $780, $40, $50
and $50 for the several classes The SER
vice pension, you would find, would de-
crease these amounts with any possible
appropriation the treasury could stand.
-Four years ago a bill came to me pro-
viding for an appropriation of 100000 ad-
dit;onal to the one mill tax, for each of
four years. | o--ered an amendment, as
] had right to do, under the law. re-
ducing the amount of $4,000 each of four
years, providing, however, that this sum
of the last two years If it appeared to
the governor that the treasury could
stand the additional amount This
amendment was accepted and the bill
become law. The veterans got the $780,
900 originally provided In the four years
] authorized the auditor to draw his war
rant in October, 1905, and again in Octo-
Der, 1906 for the additional hundred
thousand.
My apprehension of a possible treasury
balance then grew out of the reduction
of one mill of the state tax, which re-
duction amounted yearly to about $780,
600. 1t will be recalled, too, that at that
particular time the income from the con-
Wet department under the departure l
caused to be made, not a certain
amount. The vast Increase from this
source which has come to the treasury
since that time. then in the future
My fears, think, We're not reasonable.
In conclusion of this subject, you will
allow me, with much emphasis as I
can command, to say that no needy or in
digent old soldier ought to suffer for any
of the necessaries of life as long as the
state can prevent it.
Soldiers Home.
You provided four years ago for a home
for old soldiers. which home was largely
donated by that great lover of old sol
ders Jefferson NJ Falkner. and is known
as the "Falkner Home" You appropri-
ated $l20 a year for each inmate Under
the act I appointed the following trustees
of the home:
State at large: ] NJ Faulkner. w. D.
Westcott and c. l.. Ruth: and the follow
ing, one from each congressional district:
A. c. banner, j. b. Stanley. S T. Frazier,
II. C. Reynolds w. A. Handley, A. Y.
Glover, l.. b. Stone, Samuel Blackwell
and w. c. Ward. They are all clever !
business men. I think you will not find
a wiser or more efficient body of men on
any board than these.
The appropriation has been found to he
entirely insufficient to care for 1t at all
There are nearly seventy people in the
home and the appropriation is $40 for each
per month. competent comma ndant !
with an assistant or two, cooks helpers |
and nurses. particularly nurses take in !
wages one-half of the appropriation You
will consider, of course, that nearly every |
one of these old men, If not absolutely. |
is partially helpless and needs much at
tention. There is hardly S. a month for
each, to feed and clothe them. The board !
has found it impossible to get along on |
the allowance and they have gotten be-
hind. The members above named signed |
with me note for $3.50 which ! will ask |
you to provide for. This money had 70 !
be borrowed, the old veterans starved or
the home closed. If you should decide to
keep it open further you will necessarily |
be compelled TO greatly increase the per !
capita appropriation. 1t certainly ought
not to be run as poor house.