The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-21
SCHOOL OFFICERS
 ARE NOT EXEMPT Must Work Roads and Serve
 on Juries LILLE SUCCEEDS HALL Governor omer Does a Big Days Work at capito; and Hurres Back to Birmingham-Department
 On Alaska Wheat.
LILLE SUCCEEDS E
HALL


 positive ruling for the department of education to thu effect that school dis trict trustees over the entire state are liable for the performance of road and jury duty and that they have been lia- ble since May l. when the new code of Alabama went into effect. This will affect something like 11,000 trustees in the various counties of the state.
 The trustees had been confused by the verbiage of an opinion on this sub ject rendered by the attorney general last April. They believed that because they were declared exempt from the payment of poll tax this year they were likewise relieved of road and jury duty. So strongly did they believe In this version of the ruling that those who were summoned for the duty de- clined in many instances to serve, claiming they were not liable and cit ing the opinion of the attorney general.
 The reason that the trustees were re- lieved of the poll tax and not of the road and jury service was because the poll tax was due October 1, 1907, and delinquent February 1, 1908, and the exemption statute in the code of 1898 was still in effect at that time As jury and road duty may be required at any time of the year the attorney general makes it plain now that when the new code went into effect May 1, 1908, emitting the old exemption act, trustees then and there became liable for the jury and road duty. The trus- tees will also have to pay their poll tax in future after October 1, 1908. LlsIe Is Elected.
 The meeting of the board of control ! of the Second District Agricultural school of Evergreen, to attend which Gov Conner came to Montgomery today, resulted in the election of Prof H. T. i Lille of Falkvil1e as president of the college to succeed Prof W. w. Hall, re- signed. Little else of interest was transacted. The board was present except W. c. Crumpton. Professor Lies salary was fixed at $500. He is member of the text book commission
 The governor hurriedly completed the work on his desk here and left on the
 
 ious to be again in earshot of the miners of the strike region.
 Important Ruling. What is regarded as an important ! ruling of the attorney general today was to the effect that county boards of education may in their discretion set aside portion of the general educa tional fund appropriated by the state for the support and maintenance of the new high schools that have been built and are to be built under the act of the last legislature. The department of education few days ago asked for an ,opinion on this question. Attorney General Garber answered that there Is undoubtedly authority for the county boards to so use part of the states money.
 This is assurance to more than two. thirds of the counties of the state in which the sites for the high sch ools have been selected that ample teach ing forces will be secured to conduct the institutions and that the elabor- ate course recently mapped out of ficially by the state superintendent of education will be well taken care of, admitting all graduates to the fresh man and sophomore classes of the highest colleges in the south. Alaska Wheat. J. A. Wilkinson. commissioner of ag- riculture and industries, today made public an exchang of correspondence | between his depa artment and the bureau of plant industry, Washington, D. C.. which is considered as an exposure of l the extravaganza of the claims that | have been made for what is known as | the Alaska" wheat. This variety of wheat has been advertised extensively l in Alabama and other states. Wonder full qualities of productiveness and su- perior quality for the growth was | claimed for 1t.
 l The Washington bureau declares that the wheat mentioned is nothing more than an old variety under a new name It is added by the same authority that: Tt has been tried at several state ex- 1 pertinent stations in the western United States during the past 15 years, but nowhere has the yield been high enough to merit attention" The correspondence was as follows
 The Correspondence. Department of Agriculture and Indus tries
 Montgomery, Ala, August IA, 1908. pr. B. T. Galloway, Bureau of Plant Industry, Wash ington, D. c. Dear Sir-We note some agitation in regard to Alaska wheat, and some claim that 1t will grow in Alabama. l am sorry that this department has no information as to it's adaptableness to the soils in this state. Perhaps some of your crop demonstrators have made some reports to you on this wheat; if so, would be glad for you to furnish me with the information, also for you to inform me wh ere the seed can be | obtained.
 Thanking you in advance for your Kindness, am very truly yours,
 J. A. WILKINSON,
 Com. Agr. and indus. United States Department of Agricu1-
 ture, Bureau of Plant Industry.
 Washington, b. C.. August IS, 1903. Hon J. A. Wilkinson, Commissioner Of Agriculture Montgomery, Ala.
 Dear sr--ReplyinE to your favor of the l4th instant, inquiring as to the so-called Alaska" wheat, I beg to state that our experts have made an investi- MOD RH rN E.