eral Government and the two millions of bonds unsold will complete the prograni.

These facts are set out in detail on page two (2) of the Examiner's Report on the Highway Commission.

With reference to the book balance of over a million dollars to the credit of the Highway Commission on October 1st, 1922, it is a matter of common knowledge that this sum was not available in cash but the receipts which went to make up this balance had been expended for General Purposes, under a former Administration.

Therefore, when this balance is reduced it must be taken from the General Fund receipts and I have repaid about three hundred thousand ($300,000.00) Dollars of this amount from that source.

MAINTENANCE OF ROADS

The maintenance of our Public Highways is just as important a matter as the continued construction of them, and probably more so. It is only through the proper maintenance of highways that the original investment may be conserved.

About seventeen hundred (1700) miles of road have been taken over for maintenance during the past four (4) years, and on October 1st, there were being maintained two thousand (2000) miles.

This mileage is made up of the one thousand six hundred thirty-nine (1639) miles completed by State Funds, one hundred thirty-five (135) miles constructed by Counties under the supervision of the Highway Commission over one hundred (100) miles of trunk highways, which was not built under the supervision of the Commission but which it was necessary to maintain in order to make continuous travel possible and about one hundred fifty (150) miles of projects which are still classified as under construction.

That good roads well maintained have a direct influence on the General Fund of the State is evidenced by the increase in the assessed valuations and taxes collected.

I wish to call your attention to the recommendations of the Commissioner of Maintenance, Hon. R. P. Boyd, in a letter embodied in the Auditor's report which states that by October, 1927, the Auto License tax will not provide sufficient funds for maintenance of roads constructed after that date.

Within another year about a million dollars per year will be needed for maintenance of state roads and this sum will continue to grow so long as roads continue to be built and the present ones become older.

I am of the opinion that some definite provision should be made for the continued maintenance of roads independent of

any fund created to pay interest and retire bonds for road construction.

To quote from the last paragraph of a letter from R. P. Boyd, Commissioner in charge of Maintenance, which is made a part of the Examiner's Report, which reads as follows:

"If Alabama is to keep pace with the march of progress, the road system so well begun must be connected, but to build without adequate provision for maintenance will in the end, defeat the very purpose of construction."

At the beginning of this administration the Highway Commission consisted of twelve (12) members.

The Legislature of 1923, in its wisdom, changed the form of the Commission and reduced the membership to three (3). It was the opinion of that body then and is mine today, that such a Commission can function more efficiently and effectively and I recommend the continuation of the present form.

In this connection I wish to refer to the criticism that were heaped upon this Commission until the report of the Examiners of Accounts was made public. After careful and painstaking study a very exhaustive report has been submitted by Messrs. Hankins and Henry on the activities of the Commission. This report is too voluminous to be made a part of this message except as a separate document. It is in the printers' hands and a copy will be furnished each of you as soon as it comes from the press. I request that you give this report the most careful study as it treats in detail of the work of the Commission.

I quote from that report, however, some of the comments made with reference to the personnel of the Commission.

"We have not been unaware of the criticisms of the Department that have been given circulation and the futrher fact that these inferences of inefficiency and mismanagement have, in too. large a measure, fallen on fertile soil.

We are sorry that there will be those who will look for, and expect to find, references in this report to such matters; and we are delighted to be able to inform Your Excellency that, after exhausting all our resources, we have failed to find one scintilla of evidence of GRAFT, MALADMINISTRATION, or MISAPPROPRIATION of funds. We refer, of course, to the expenditure of the funds as authorized by the Statute. We would not if we could, and could not if we would, comment on the wisdom of all expenditures. That is a matter of policy strictly in the hands of the Commission and the question of whether the types of the road, the alignment or grade, was correct is an Engineering problem and does not come within the purview of this examination.

That mistakes have been made by the Commission is more than likely, for "it is human to err," but even these have a value in that through our mistakes we become more perfect by learning to avoid them.

We are convinced of the fact that Hon. John A. Rogers, Chairman; and Hon. L. G. Smith and Hon. R. P. Boyd, Associate Commissioners, and their predecessors in office, are men and citizens whose integrity is beyond question, and who have been, and are, devoting their time and energy to their work in a patriotic spirit and with the purpose of rendering their best service to the entire State. All of these gentlemen have been identified in some way with every progressive movement for the betterment of roads in Alabama. Some of them as engineers, have been employed for many years, and in this capacity have given the State the benefit of their experience and technical training, but we doubt if any State can boast of a citizen that has given to it a service with less manifestation of selfish interest, or devoted a greater part of his time and talent, with the same degree of consciousness of a public trust, and to our belief, without hope of future reward, than has Chairman Rogers. While in some instances we have had to disagree with his policies we do not question his sincerity.

We are sure that the future years will bring about a full ap preciation of this service in the minds of the citizens of Alabama and that upon the foundation he and his associates have laid for Highway construction in Alabama will be builded a monument of progress upon which the names of John A. Rogers and his associates will be indelibly carved."

I wish to add my endorsement to this tribute and know that those of you who really know the gentlemen who have composed the Highway Commission will agree with me.

I quote below excerpts from the special report of the Highway Commission made to me:

"The completion of the work under way at the end of your period will practically exhaust the funds available for highway construction from the twenty-five million dollar bond issue heretofore authorized, and from such surplus money as became available from automobile license fund after this fund had supplied a sinking fund to retire the twenty-five million dollar bond issue, funds to pay interest on outstanding bonds, and funds for maintenance of completed highways and for the operation of the Highway Department.

"We wish to call your attention to a report of your Auditors showing the expenditure in each County. Where the Counties have not received their quota according to the law, we have left. unexpended bonds or auto license funds to cover the appropriation legally due those Counties.

"The Federal Aid System which comprises the main arterial Highways of the State, comprises 3958 miles. With the work completed and now under construction, there will be approximately 1200 miles of gaps in the Federal Aid System. The Commission wishes to stresss the importance of completing this System by filling in all gaps that remain in the highways now and will remain after the completion of the highways now under construction, as rapidly as moneys can be made available for this purpose, in order that the citizens of the State may have the benefits of the completed Highway System that will enable them to get to all large centers of the population by good, usable, all year around highways. In order to accomplish this as quickly as possible, we would stress the advisability of continuing to construct in accordance with the State Construction Plan, which is to build highways and surface with such type of surfacing as will give the needed service at the present time and for some years to come, only putting the high type expensive pavement on those roads where present traffic, or traffic soon to be anticipated may justify such pavement, using the valuable gravel, sand, clay, chert and stone deposits of the State in making temporary surfaces on those roads where the traffic justifies such surfacing.

"This plan of course, contemplates the ultimate paving of all the main arterial roads in the State as traffic conditions demand and as financial conditions permit. The object of our recommendation being to first build a foundation, and drainage structures, which are the same for all types of roads and which when finished with some so called temporary surface, will as stated above, enable the people to get the use of the general system of roads at an earlier date than would be possible by paving all roads as thy are constructed.

"In constructing pavements, it has been the policy of the Highway Commission, concurred in by Federal Bureau of Public Roads, to ask for bids on several types of pavement which are recognized all over the Country as standard types, the purpose being to secure competition, which we feel could not be had should the Commission ask for tenders on only one type of surfacing. We believe that this policy has saved the State vast sums of money in the paving that has been done, and that if this policy is adhered to, the State will profit immensely thereby."

I submit the above extracts from the Commissions' report for your earnest consideration.

The motor bus traffic of the State has developed and is developing very rapidly and these vehicles being very heavy and operated at high rates of speed, are damaging the highways very much more than a similar number of ordinary privately owned vehicles do. In concurrence with the Highway Department's recommendation, I recommend that some action be had looking

to the regulation of this service, and that some system of licensing or taxing them be adopted that will cause them to reimburse the State in some measure for the damage done to the highways and that they be regulated as Common Carriers.

Within the last few years a great many small towns and communities traversed by the State Highways have installed very restrictive speed limits for those using the State constructed highways and these regulations have been enforced in such manner as to cause the people at large to call them "speed traps," and have been a great source of annoyance to the traveling public who are using the State Highways.

I would recommend that some action be taken to put the fixing of speed limits on State constructed highways under the jurisdiction of the Highway Department, or some other State Agency, so that uniform and properly thought out regulations may be provided for the use of the State Highways, rather than haphazard regulations that are now being enforced. We also concur in the recommendation being made by the Alabama Association of Mayors and ask your earnest consideration of same..

Any mention of Alabama's road building would be incomplete without the mention of that great engineer, the late lamented W. S. Keller. To him perhaps, is due as much praise as any other man. As Chief Engineer from the inception of Highway Development in Alabama he gave of his thought, his energy and his time, and to him is largely due the progress made in Highway development. He has left his monument in roads and bridges all over Alabama, and his services are remembered by our people. He died in the service of his State as Chief Highway Engineer and has left to history a name that will endure. Peace to his ashes.

STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION

The State Board of Control and Economy was abolished by the Legislature of 1923.

The State Board of Convict Supervisors was established in its place, retaining the best features of the old act and abolishing the other features which were found to be undesirable and impracticable. Later in the Session of 1923, the name was changed to the State Board of Administration because it not only supervises the operation of the Convict Department, but has charge of all State property, unless otherwise provided, and is the general business agency of the administration.

The Board is composed of two members, a president and associate member, and these members have direct charge of the two departments of the Board; the President is in charge of the Executive Department and looks after the general business inter-