The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-09
of ths a.partmsn, on the esrtiaeats q

of the department on the eertihcats of the Commissioners
 The old Act.
 The section of the act of the session Of 1sss-s3. fixing the compensatfon and allowances of the State Chemist reads as fol1bws:
 Be 1t enacted by the General As xembly of Alabama that, Section 3a4 of the Civil Code of lss6 be amended SO as to read as follows: The chemist Is entitled to such compensation as the Commissioner may decide reasonable. not exceeding $500 annually; and also to his necessary travelling expenses while on duty assigned to him by the Commissioner. payable from the funds of the department on the certificate Of the Comniissianer."
 Thus it will appear that the Codifi- cation Committee took the old statute and altered its language so as to read out of the law any compensation at all to the State Chemest for his work. Ever since the passage of the old law. now nearly ten years old. the state Chemist has been drawing the salary Of $500. which has never been criticized so fas as it known. for being exces- sfve. On the contrary, those closely l associated with the commercial ferti- lizer business of the State declare that the salary now being drawn by the State Chemist is perhaps inadequate for the amount of work performed by that officer.
 Chensi.t's Duties. Thpt the State Chemist has good round of work to perform in accord ance with the law as it now appears Tn the new Code Is shown by the follow l ing, Section 4s. of the Code. going into | effect May 1:
 The professor of agricultural l chemistry of the Alabama Polytechnic | Institute l.. the official chemist or the I Department Department of Agricui- ture and Iudustries). On the apptica- 1 tion of tho Commissioner he must ana I lyze and certify the analysis of all Ter tilizers, samples of which are fur | nished him in the manner prescrioeo l by law: and. at the request Of the Com 1 missioner If he can without conthc' with his other duties, must attend con ventions of agricultural chemists, make reports of such matters as he may deem l of interest to the Department, and rem der such other services in the line oi his profession as the Commissioner may 1 require, and the chemist. when neces- | sary, may deputize the ranking mem | Der of the chemical staff of the State ! Chemical laboratory to report and sigr | analysis, and to make reports on such
 matters as the chemist may refer te
 him"
 What the State Chemist, Professor
 Ross. thinks of the apparent denial tc 1 him of his salary is not known. If an, provision will be made for his com 1 pensation it will have to develop bS May 1.
 | As the result of this disclosure fl 1 the new Code, coupled with other dis | coveries and surprises that have come | to light since lawyers and State of | ficials began to read the volumes. there 1 has been a good deal of criticism ot
 the method of the Legislature by whicf | the Code was adopted Several mem | bers say that the entire Code was
 bodily passed by the two Houses in ont
 stroke by adopting the report of thu 1 Qualification Committee. There have
 been numerous changes in the old cod'
 and it is claimed that the attention O. the Legislators was not called to thes' l changes seriatim or otherwise so tha