The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-22
GOVERNORS FIRST MESSAGE ID HOUSE
 COVERS NUMEROUS
 IMPORTANT POINTS
Suggests Repeal of Two Quart Law, Five Per Cent Excess Profits Tax,
 and a Better Educa-
 tional System
By WILLIAM l.. GoRMLEY

By WILLIAM l.. GORMLEY
 Montgomery, January 21.
 Special. )-Gov. Thomas F..
 Kilby, in his first message to
 the house of representatives
 and senate of Alabama, covered
 some of the most important
 subjects to come before the pres
 ent session of the, Alabama law
 makers. The message came to
 the house shortly before 1
 o'clock. It was delivered to the
 senate almost simultaneously
 by Secretary Darden of the
 governors office. The mes
 sage contains P pages, and IS
 one of the longest ever to be
 submitted to a legislature of
 Alabama.
 
 two-quart whisky law. the enactment of
 laws requiring persons to pay per cent
 on all excess profits, better educational
 laws, the adoption of the resolution
 which will cause Alabama to benefit from
 the government provisions relating to
 the vocational education system, 15 work
 ing days for the present legislature. re-
 peal of the law which permits contract
 ing for labor in Alabama.
 HALTED READING
 In the house the message was half read when J. Lee Long of Butler, who before had made a motion that the read ing Joe dispensed with, made a motion
 again that the house recess until 10
 o'clock Thursday morning. This sugges-
 ton came a short time after the senate had unanimously agreed to have 50o copies of the message-printed and dis-
 tributed to the senate members.
 A report reached the house about the time Long made his motion to the effect that Judge Gaston Gunter. one of the most widely known jurists in the state, had died at his Montgomery home. MT. Long desired that the house pay respect to the judge, who formerly was mem Der of the house, Mir. Long announced that Jones Of Montgomery was drawing up a resolution on the death of Judge Gunter and the house was preparing to recess when second report said there was nothing to the rurnor that Judge Gunter had passed away. The judge is dangerously i'll with pneumonia.
 However, because the senate had re- cessed until 10 o'clock Thursday morn ing the house took the same action after the introduction of several bills by rep resentatives. The message of the gov ernor was interesting to the lawmakers because he had taken in so many Of the important questions of the day. The house voted to have 1000 copies or
 the message printed for the use or the representatives.
 Governor Kilby devotes one section of his message to the port at Mobile, max ing the suggestion that the state should assist the harbor commission in it's fl-' nancial affairs
 SUMMARY OF MESSAGE / The message, briefly summarized, fol- lows: The governor urges the Legislature to comply with the terms of the Smith Hughes vocational law of the Unfteu States. A state board, he believes should he created immediately for the purpose of going over the various phases Of the work provided, for by the United states government The governor suggests Una. Alabama should give dollar for dollar to the fund granted by the United States for the promotion of the modern voca- tional educational system in the schools of the state Suggestion is made Una. the state provide expert assistants whose duty it shall be to supervise and pro- | mote the work to be undertaken when | the senate and house act 1t IS impera- | tive. he believes. that the state accept c.A- kl- Cs,,,if fh-I 1T within 50 days and that suostantiai appropriation be made therefor.
 HEALTH FUNDS NEEDED The state board of health should be pro- yided with necessary funds with whicn to make proper use or tne recent uis coveries of medical science The gov ernor says that we do not fully realize what can be done for the prevention or. disease and the preservation or huHian life because we have failed to mahe proper use of the recent discoveries. The ] state health board is not suited 10 the conditions that have come about Tn .he past, he says, and it IS suggested una. | tbe legislature enact laws that wall pc of benefit to the people. Laws of ny eiene should be taught by, teachers to conserve the health of the people ot Ala hama. The department, he says, shouiu | ha nrovided with better and more ef1l- lo;ant roeans to make fight on tupercu- Iosis and other communicable diseases. | TInder the head of "Education. GOV ernor Kilby asks the legislature to name 1 , snecial committee to make thorough | ;ryestipation of the school system or inc state. and to report and make recon : i mendations covering the states entire ] scheme of public education. Ine com | ioission should have the power. TO Visl' schools and conduct an investigations
 taking evidence under oath. The com | mission members, he said, should be al lowed expenses. clerical and other help. WANTS BONE-DRY LAW ! The first important subject to be taken LID in the message is that of prohibition He coneratulates the legislature upon the prompt enactment of the national prohi~ ! bition amendment. Prohibition, he says. is the fixed policy of the state" He pleads for the repeal of the two-quart whisky law of Alabama. and the enact- meut of the bone-dry bill which already | has passed both the senate and house. and which probably will be finally acted 1 upon in the senate this wNek. The state needs laws to require the enforcement of the liquor laws, he says A The financial affairs of the state come 1 in for large part of the 27-pase mes- sage. Under the caption of the Ffnan- 1 cial Budget System" the chief executive urges "the adoption of a well devised budget system of revenue and expendi : tures as means of determining in ad- yance of the next legislative session the amount and necessity for various appro- lpriations for state institutions and ac-