The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-10
,r+.T s1 a22 27s oo

oTtaI. VI, ,52z,21s.OO terms amounts to s1,192,567.25 net.
 The new system largely accounts for the difference in income of the four years. and, besides, the counties ob- der the new system finally induced the operators to increase the sum allowed for county convicts.
 had hoped before my term ex- pired to see purchased one large plan- tation of the very best land providing quarters for all those convicts who are not fit for very hard work, dividing 1t dren, tuberculosis people, for a general hospital, and for quarters for men, placing 1t all under one great manage ment. This must be done In time. A profitable departure for the State in the near future will be the opening of mines on the. States own account, and thus securing the operators prof its. If this is done and properly man aged the income from such convicts as may be used in the workt should double the present income of an equal number of men so engaged.
 County Convict System.
 The county convict system is re- proach. Four years ago I advised change, of one line in the Code, requir- ing hard labor agents to receivethe ap- proval of the State Convict Department to proposed contracts. This would have practically put the control of the coun- ty system in the State Department That department was willing to see service of these convicts, and partic- ularly. desired to so place them and in sufficient numbers that It's agents simple remedy. proposed would have added to- the fine and forfeiture fund of every county and inured particular 1y to the well being of the poor unfor, tunates. The present systemrfs beyond words. I hardly trust myself to write of 1t. i@
 I am persuaded that the earnings money derived from whfskey licenses should go to the schools, the division looking particularly to the support of | the criminals. certainly, q should say, are made so either directly or indi- rectly. by the use of ardent spirits. The convict camps are largely camps the earnings of these unfortunates and | the licenses to reform the boy, or | strengthen him through proper edu- cation, against future temptation. This would be a great departure from the States financial system, and ouSht to be provided for with due reference to future possible treasury balances. In which you are to draft might provide | for a minimum license for the sale of whiskey. which should be higher than known in the average city or this state I local option law, but not less import ant is higher minimum license, de- pendent upon population.
 | Bucket Shops. 1 One of the crying wills Of the day l the gambling one through what are | known as bucket shops. l am sure you | will agree with me that they ought to | have no legal existence in Alabama l The Surplus. :,
 The State treasury on December l
 had a balance lof $915.304.40. That is
 a lower point than the balance had | reached in one year and would be
 lower than it would reach in another l year. the treasury receiving and dis bursting the same amount as the past | twelve months. It is what we call low 1 water time and low water mark. It | marks the exact day when the in come from the new tax year gets larg-
 CT than the demand on the treasury
 It is an absolute surplus. Indeed, l | might say that the surplus is a round million because the half year interest
 due on the first day of January had
 been taken from the treasury before
 There may be some discussion of this
 position, but the money is in the treas
 ury and it is real surplus. The dis
 cussion, or seeming doubt of it's na-
 ture grows out of an old law, which
 I think has been improperly inter-
 preted by some officers. requiring
 school money collected in a past fis-
 cal year to be set aside for schools in
 the next fiscal year. If such can be
 called the law now 1t ought to be re-
 pealed because 1t has never been oo-
 served in actual practice and is a most
 foolish provision. There is no earth