No. 60.) AN ACT (S. 90-Brown. To provide for extension work in agriculture and home economics by giving instruction to men, women, and young people in the several counties in Alabama, by continuing and improving farm demonstration work, by organizing marketing clubs, by organizing and supervising boys' corn and pig clubs, girls' canning clubs, women's clubs in home economics and by conducting other extension work through other means, all with a view to making farm life more profitable and attractive; to secure for Alabama the full amount of the funds conditionally appropriated by Congress under the Smith-Lever Extension Act for extension work in agriculture and home economics; and to make appropriations for these purposes. Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama: Section 1. In order to aid in diffusing among the people of Alabama in the several counties useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture and home economics; to provide for the continuance and improvement of farm demonstration work; for organizing live stock, marketing, and other agricultural clubs and otherwise assisting farmers in preparing for market and marketing their crops and live stock; for organizing and supervising boys' corn clubs and pig clubs, girls' canning clubs, home economics and other clubs for women; to encourage diversification of crops and better methods of farming and stock raising; to promote the welfare of the rural districts by other forms of agricultural and home economics extension work; and to secure for expenditure in Alabama the full amounts appropriated conditionally by the Congress of the United States under the agricultural extension act, approved May 8th, 1914, generally known as the Smith-Lever act for extension work in agriculture and home economics in the several states, the following sums shall be, and are hereby, appropriated to the Alabama Polytechnic Institution out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for carrying out the purposes of this act: For the fiscal year of the Federal government ending June 30, 1920, sixty-eight thousand dollars. Section 2. These sums shall be expended under the direction of the board of trustees of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, which board of trustees shall appoint a commission of three men with the governor of the State as chairman and the said committee shall direct the extension service of said institute in the expenditure of all moneys whatever relevant to the putting into effect of this act, and in such manner as to secure for extension work in Alabama in any year the maximum amount of the fund conditionally appropriated for that year by the Congress of the United States under the terms of the agricultural extension act, generally known as the Smith-Lever act, approved May 8th, 1914. If there should remain in any year any balance of the State appropriation after satisfying the requirements of the said Smith-Lever act of Congress, these balances may be used with the approval of the above mentioned commission in providing quarters for the official and public use of the persons engaged in extension work in Alabama and for other purposes related to extension work. Any balance remaining unexpended on June thirtieth of any year shall be added to the amount available for the next ensuing year; any revenue incidentally derived from the sale or equipment or other articles shall be further applied to the purposes of this act. Section 3. The sums appropriated by this act shall be paid each year in equal quarterly payments in advance on the first day of July, October, January, and April, respectively, to the treasurer of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, on the requisition of the president of said institute. Section 4. On or before the tenth day of each month the extension service of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, shall make a report to the governor showing to whom any moneys were paid during the preceding month, naming the amounts paid to each person and the cause or causes for which said moneys were paid, with such degree of itemizing as the governor may require. Section 5. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed, but nothing in this act shall be construed as repealing the act approved February 11th, 1911, for farm demonstration work in Alabama. Approved February 14, 1919. No. 61.) AN ACT (S. 17-West. To regulate the assessment of cost of public improvements against property by municipalities, and to provide a method by which assessments originally levied against a tract of land may be split and divided among the interested property owners, and providing for the correction of errors in the descriptions of ownerships, and for reducing the assessments before, pending appeal, or after an appeal has been decided, and authorizing the governing bodies of cities to settle and compromise cases of assessments or judgments thereon. Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama: That when assessments are made for public improvements against property owned by tenants in common, and one or more of the tenants in common to the property assessed desires that said assessment be paid, he may file petition with the governing body of such municipality, praying that such assessment made be divided or split among the tenants in common to said property, the governing bodies of such municipalities are hereby authorized and empowered to divide such assessment proportionately among the tenants in common, and allow any tenant in common to pay and discharge his proportionate share of such assessment, and the lien on his undivided interest shall be discharged upon payment in full, and this may be done before appeal, pending appeal or after final disposition, etc., and also after division, etc., and the governing body of such municipalities are authorized to adjust the cost of the proceedings with the petitioner, and the cause may proceed against the other tenants in common. Section 2. That the governing bodies of municipalities may, at any time before judgment rendered in the circuit court, correct errors in the description of ownership of property against which an assessment has been made for public improvements, and shall have authority, whenever in their judgment the assessment is in excess of the special benefits derived from such improvement, to reduce assessments before appeal, pending appeal, or after the appeal has been decided; and shall have full authority to settle and compromise cases where an appeal has been taken, or in which no appeal has been taken. Section 3. That when an assessment for public improvements is levied against a tract of land, that the governing body of any municipality may, upon petition of the owner or owners of said tract of land, split or divide the original assessment against the same, and may apportion the cost of the improvements among the several portions or divisions of said tract of land, and shall upon the payment of the amount so charged or assessed against any separate portion or division, discharge said portion or division from the lien for improvements against the same. Section 4. Provided, however, that when any assessment is split or divided, or errors corrected in the description of ownerships or assessments reduced, settled or compromised, or any adjustment made or act done as authorized by this act, no lien on the property affected by the asssessment under existing laws, shall be discharged or impaired, but shall be retained in full force and effect, on the several parts or portions of the property which may be thereby affected, and provided, further, that in all cases where assessments may be split or divided as herein authorized, notice to owners of the property covered by such assessments or to their agents, shall be given, either in person or by mail, where such owners or agents and their addresses are known, or by publication in a newspaper published in the municipality where such owners or agents and their addresses are unknown, once a week for two consecutive weeks, before any final action shall be taken as herein provided. Section 5. Provided however the owner of any portion of said tract of land may after said tract and the original assessments have been divided appeal from the resolution, judgment or order of the governing body levying said assessment in the same manner and under the same conditions as appeals are taken from original assessments, except that said appeal must be taken within five days after said judgment, resolution or order. Approved February 13, 1919. No. 62.) (S. J. R. 40-Watt T. Brown. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION. Whereas the old Confederate veterans of the State of Alabama are decreasing in members rapidly and in the next fifteen years by the law of nature most of them will have passed away, and Whereas the people of the State of Alabama have been and are now enjoying great blessings from wealth and high standing citizenship, coming in a large measure from hardships and privations of these old Confederate veterans, it is the sense of this Legislature that every needy Confederate veteran in Alabama should have a fixed monthly pension to be paid quarterly the balance of his life, if he wants to accept it, except those who are being cared for by the Confederate Home. Be it resolved, by the Senate of Alabama, and the House of Representatives concurring, that the budget commission that will sit during the split session of the present Legislature to consider financial conditions of the State and make recommendations for appropriations for the different needs of the State, be asked to consider the Confederate veterans' cause, in that he may be better provided for financially the balance of his life. Approved February 13, 1919. No. 63.) AN ACT (S. 34-McDowell. To amend section 3101 of the Code. Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama: 1. That section 3101 of the Code be amended to read as follows: 3101. When a party to a suit or other proceedings in equity is alleged to be of unsound mind, and have no legal guardian and resides in this State, such party may be brought into court by service of process personally upon him, and a guardian ad litem appointed for such person as in case of infants over fourteen years of age who fail to select or nominate a guardian ad litem. In cases where the person alleged to be of unsound mind has a guardian, service shall be made upon such guardian, unless the interest is adverse, in such cases the court or register, must appoint a guardian ad litem without service. Whenever a person is alleged to be of unsound mind, and resides out of this State, either with or without a guardian, the court or register must appoint a guardian ad litem for such person, after notice by publication has been perfected upon the guardian. In cases where there is no guardian, or the guardians interest is adverse, the court or register must appoint a guardian ad litem on the filing of the proceedings, without any notice. Approved February 12, 1919. No. 64.) AN ACT (H. 42-Jones of Escambia. To amend an act approved September 15th, 1915, entitled "An act to require all county solicitors, all circuit solicitors, any solicitors of any court of record to give opinions to all county officials in all matters connected with their offices except in suits against official bonds.” Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama: Section 1. That an act entitled "An act to require all county solicitors, all circuit solicitors, any solicitors of any court of record to give opinions to all county officials in all matters connected with their offices except in suits against official bonds" be and the same is amended so as to read as follows: That from and after the passage of this act, that all county solicitors, all circuit solicitors, and any solicitor of any court of record, are hereby required, and it is made a duty upon them, to give every county official, opinions in writing on all matters connected with their respective offices except in suits against officials bonds. But nothing herein shall be so construed as to limit or prohibit courts of county commissioners or boards of revenue from retaining or employing attorneys when it is deemed advisable or necessary and the agreed compensation to them may be paid as are claims to grand and petit jurors. Section 2. That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. Approved February 13, 1919. No. 70.) (H. J. R. 54-Orr. HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION Whereas, the measure now pending in Congress, popularly known as the Byrnes Soldier Settlement bill, providing for the appropriation of one hundred million dollars to be expended |