The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-01-12

henefc~st results would largely ON
weigh lis cost.
Conservation Work.
Nearly all the states have . conserva-
ton commission, whose duty it is to
ascertain, report and conserve its nat
ural resources. Tn state geologist, DIR.
f. n. Lowe, is thoroughly imbued with
this spirit, is well informed on the sub
ject, and has rendered valuable service
along this line, in connection with geo
logical and forestry Investigations and
soil and water surveys. SUCH authority
might be conferred on the geological
commission, who could make this one
Of its lines of work.
National Guard.
The National Guard is created by the
constitution, which we are all sworn to
uphold and obey, as a part OF the quail
fications to vote, and again, as a pre-.
requisite to office holding. This consti-
tuition, section 221, imperatively de-
clares, "The legislature is hereby re-
CURED to make annual appropriation for
the efficient support and maintenance
OF the Mississippi National Guard" Sec
ton 1872 makes the governor command
er-in-chief of this guard and empowers
him to call it out to execute the laws
and to suppress riots. Pursuant to this
authority, and at the request of local
officials, who acknowledged their in
ability to suppress rioting, and after
hundreds of shots, with murderous pur-
pose, had been fired at Water Valley.
arl - loA, - FHorn rr{x.
l ordered the National Guard in such
numbers as the adjutant general and
the military officers thought were nee
essary to r~e-establish order and to sup
press and prevent ~rioting.. Not a citizen
at McComb, nor but two at Water Val
ley, have ever said to me that the order
ing out and keeping of the troops at
those points was otherwise han neees-
sary.
The National Guardsmen, while seek.
ing no such service, promptly and fear
: tessly responded to the states call. As
a whole, they are a fine body of men.
The adjutant general will submit an
itemized account, accompanied by proper
vouchers, showing all expenditures paid
on account of the National Guard serv.
ice at McComb and Water Valley, and
also a statement of additional expend.
itures incurred.
Insurance.
, The department of insurance, as dem
onstrated by the report of the commits
i, %sioner, is an exceedingly busy and use
+ full public agency. Considering the
amount of insurance paid by our citi
zens, and the extent it figures in the bus
mess and family world, great care should
! be exercised to prevent the operation
O of insolvent or worthless insurance com
D panies.
o Public Highways.
Our constitution, section 10, confers
4 upon boards of supervisors "full jurisdic
, ton over roads, ferries and bridges, tx
4 be exercised in accordance with such reg
~ulation as the Legislature may prescribe
This provision of the constitution should
4 be abrogated, for it prevents the estab
: lishment of an efficient road system, di
r rected and supervised by an expert
builder. Each county has now, neces
!. sarily, under this provision, the power
to determine it's own highway method
Some of these methods are crude ant
inefficient, but a growing number Of
q them are utilizing modern ideas. Some
are successfully operating, under skilled
road superintendent, teams and nipple
: ments owned by the counties. The labor
is directly employed. Many Others lei
the road contracts to the lowest bidder
h With varying success the labor of coun
q ty prisoners has been tested, some coun
4 ties finding it more expensive and les'
h beneficial than free labor, even will
r short term prisoners, and but slight in
n c~entives for escape. The law of 1910
authorizing supervisors districts or coun
ties to ISSUE bonds for road construc
tion has been successfully applied i,
many instances.
Executive Contingent and Other Funds
Some matters being yet unadjcsted
an itemized account of the expenditure
of the contingent fund, since the las
report, will be submitted just before tn
;, end of my term. AL unexpended fund
are, as they have always been, eithe
in the state treasury, or in the FRS
- National Bank of Jackson, to the credi
: of the state, and subject to your in
. spection, or that of any citizen, shown,
= exactly what was on hand at the open
ing and the closing of each day sine
my Inauguration, and subject to the o,
der of any acting or actual governor.
:. The Spanish-American war fund car
not be received nor paid out by tn
state treasurer until legislative author
!, ity be granted. In the meanwhile, thos
funds ever since their receipt by me hav
y been kept in the bank mentioned
checks being given, with receipts al
, tached, to those legally entitled.
Soil Surveys.
20 During the past two or three year.
soil surveys a been made of 1916.
square miles of Mississippi's total area
46,34O square miles. Work is now prt
crossing in Lincoln, Warren and Wiz
ston counties. By cooperation with tn
b. state %geologist, two or three surveys ar
"a progressing at a time. The skilled ma
in each party is provided by the fedora
n government. The chief of the burea
,e of soils recently reported to me tina
lie future work will be largely governed b
C. the amount of state aid; and that tn
cooperative agreement has been Ell
tirely satisfactory; and that sthe wor
b. has been pushed along as rapidly as wa