CHILD LABOR.

There is quite a development of cotton mills and mining interests in the State, and in both of these, particularly the former, boys and girls of tender age can be used. The best interest of the State demands that there should be a limitation of age and State supervision of their employment.

On the farm and in other outdoor work a continuance of labor is impossible on account of the vicissitudes of the weather. I suggest, therefore, that you introduce a graduated limitation of age, and also some method with regard to the introduction of compulsory education; thus, not only breaking into the possible continuity of indoor work, but also giving the advantages of education. At the same time, I will caution you that a great many people have gone to the mills to work because they have found by experience that they can earn more money and do better there than they can elsewhere, and in large families they can better take care of themselves with their earning capacity there than elsewhere, and it is a very serious matter for the State to assume the guardianship as to how and when these people shall work and direct and dictate to them by methods of law as to whether they shall or shall not work where they think to their best interest.

In the rural districts and in towns and cities there are many poor families, many poor families with children, and any one familiar with the conditions of such things would know that many of them could do better in the mill than elsewhere.

BIENNIAL LEGISLATURES.

Quadrennial sessions of the Legislature are too infrequent to meet the requirements of a rapidly developing and advancing State, and oftentimes too long delay relief much needed by the people. Fifty days for legislation for four years are too short a time in which to make proper investigation of conditions and acquire proper knowledge for the preparation of statutes neces

sary for the care of the people. I recommend an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama providing for biennial sessions.

ELECTION OF U. S. SENATORS.

I recommend that you pass a resolution requesting our congressmen to favor an amendment to the Federal Constitution, to have the Federal Senators elected by the people instead of by the Legislature, as at present.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS.

The selection by a primary of all the officers, county, State and federal, has proven very satisfactory to the people at large, and has no doubt best served the economic interest of the State. This method of making an officer directly responsible to all of the voters of the State, rather than having them selected by conventions, has proven more satisfactory, and I would suggest the enactment of statutes requiring the holding of a general primary the third Monday in August preceding a general election, in which primary all the political parties of the State can vote for the candidates of their choice, whether candidates be for federal or State offices, and the cost of holding said primary shall be paid for by the State.

POLITICAL WORKERS.

I recommend the enactment of laws prohibiting all persons who may be hereafter employed for political purposes from engaging in the work of said employment until they shall first register their names in a book to be kept for that purpose in the probate office of the county or counties, in which they propose to work and state under oath by whom they are employed, and the compensation they are receiving or expect to receive for such employment.

THE MILITIA.

It is gratifying to note the high standard of efficiency and splendid organization of the Alabama National Guard. This standard should be maintained. I, therefore, recommend an adequate appropriation be made to this end and that every aid and encouragement be ex. tended to our citizen soldiery.

PUBLIC HEALTH.

The matter of safeguarding the public health is one which will command your consideration, and in this connection I desire to call your attention to the statement recently made by an eminent medical authority that one-seventh of all the deaths in Alabama annually are caused by tuberculosis, commonly known as consumption, and that not fewer than 15,000 persons in this State are now afflicted with this dreadful disease. Progressive states in all sections of the country are legislating for the prevention and suppression of of the "great white plague," and I commend this subject to your earnest consideration.

GOOD ROADS.

Transportation of whatever kind is one of the chief elements which enter into the cost of production and the creation of wealth, and its charges or costs, greater or less, largely influence the class of citizenship and the proportion of profit left to the producers of wealth, and we should encourage the counties of the State to maintain their public roads in the highest state of efficiency, and I recommend you to enact such statutes as may be necessary to carry this out.

LIFE INSURANCE.

The recent investigation in New York of the largest life insurance companies have shown this business to be wonderfully profitable, and also showed that they were

gradully absorbing the money of the country. The proof evidenced great mismanagement of the companies, and a large amount of graft and debauching influence. For the proper protection of the people, and as far as practicable, to save within the State the money of the people, and gradually prevent that going out of the profits of the State, to build up such institutions without the State, I would suggest that you investigate the propriety of making the State the insurance agent for the people of the State, giving the people the benefit of the very best conditions and of the best companies, and legislating as far as practicable out of the State the foreign companies.

LOCAL OPTION.

There is almost a universal demand that we have a well defined and equitable local option law. This has been debated through the State and is clearly understood, I will simply suggest that is one of the essential features of our great democracy that the great majority shall rule.

BUCKET SHOPS.

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I recommend the abolition and extermination bucket shops and every other form of gambling in the State of Alabama.

IMMIGRATION.

There is a great demand for labor in nearly every industry of the State; unquestionably many industries are being retarded by the scarcity of labor, and there is quite a demand that the State should lend its aid towards securing more workers by importing them from lands across the sea. There has been some suggestion of bringing in cheap labor, coolies and South Italians. understand that Alabama has only eight tenths of one per cent. of foreign population, and suggest that while it would be to the advantage of every species of interest

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to increase our citizenship it would be a very dangerous and hurtful proposition to increase that citizenship at the expense of the quality of citizenship. The introducing of a low class of labor under the general labor conditions of the State today, would tend to level our present labor and their pay to that class.

More than 40 per cent. of our population are negroes, furnishing a low order of labor. It is certainly a sufficient burden on the white men of the State to take care of, educate and build up the negro, and I can imagine no greater curse to the State than the introduction of a low class of white labor.

Statistics show that some 400,000 of our people have emigrated, evidently because the conditions outside of the State were better than those within the State. The present development and competitive demand for labor increasing wages, increasing the cost and value of product, would of itself tend to attract not only new labor, but also prevent the emigration of our own people.

Nearly all of our people are laborers, a very large per cent. of them do manual work, and very nearly all of the balance, whether as clerk or merchant, employer or employe, in the higher paid industrial and mercantile lines, depend on the price of labor for what they make, and you could strike no more vital blow at their welfare than to introduce a system of immigration that would tend to reduce the earning capacity of labor, on the farm or in the office or factory, or elsewhere. I would caution you to not be led across the best interests of our people and the future of our State by the clamor of those who to promote same present enterprise would lead you into the false position of introducing into our State a class of people that would hurt our best interest instead of amalgamating with our present citizenship and improving the future of the State. It is true that we want immigrants. Immigrants built Cullman county, immigrants have spread over all of our North, South and Southeast counties and a great many have come to Jefferson county, and they are still coming. This natural inflow and natural increase of our population will in time take care of a great many of our necessities. We