The age-herald., 1898-12-06
THE BOOKS
 ARE EXAMINED Showing the Business of the County
 Commissioners of Jefferson. EXAMINER FOSTER AT WORK To Ascertain Some Material Facts for
 the Governors Message. CHARGES AND COUNTERCHARGEs Will Likely Cause a. Sensation in Bir- mingham and at Montgomery The Fight is On and Live ly Times Are Ahead.
CHARGES AND CONTEMPORARIES

Assistant State Examiner Foster is in
 Birmingham for the purpose of examining
 the books, accounts and general records Of
 the board of commissioners of Jefferson
 county
 Yesterday morning he applied to Sheriff
 OBrien and requested that he be provided
 with a room in the court house in which he
 could pursue his investigations unmolested.
 The sheriff complied with the request im-
 mediately, making all possible arrange
 ments for the examiners comfort.
 The sheriff left for Montgomery in the af- ternoon, and will probably remain at the capital till Saturday.
 Examiners Visit Sensational The presence here of Examiner Foster and the nature of his work will prove to be one of the liveliest local sensations of the day. He is going to the bottom of
 things in the work of the county comrnis- sioners, and the facts ascertained by him will be at once reported to the governor and the report. it is understood, will be em- bodied in special message from the gov- ernor to the legislature, asking for the abo- lition of the board of county commissioners and the enactment of a law creating a county board of revenue the members of which shall be appointed by the governor, in the terms of a publication in the Age Herald week ago.
 How long Examiner Foster will be en- gagged in making his report is not known; but it is assumed that he will complete his work as speedily as possible. As matter of course, he cannot be interviewed, and so far he has not been accessible to re- porters.
 Will Strike Boldly The public is now familiar with the fact | that Governor Johnston favors the aboli- tion of the board of county commissioners, which, to refer to more properly, is in fact | a court; and the desire of the chief execu- | tive is that board of revenue be created, | the members of which he himself shall be l empowered to name.
 | There is scarcely room for doubt that | charges aganst the commissioners will be submitted by the governor to the legisla- | ture. The nature of the charges it is not practicable to even guess at, but 1t is req sonable to assume that they will be of a character fly ely to produce the greatest sensation in local politics that has occurred in years.-
 Will Strike Back The county commissioners are prepared, it is said, to strike back at the governor,
 probably not in any personal way, but
 merely in their own defense. There shall
 be charges and countercharges, and the
 political atmosphere at the capital and
 in Birmingham premises to reach high degree of temperature. The commissioners are not resting, and the governor is also active. There are lively times just ahead of the public and the general assembly.
 It is understood the governor will not
 send in his special message until he has the final and bdsiness-like statement from
 Examiner Foster. This statement will be
 the basis of his message, and upon it he
 will base his contention that the offices of the county commissioners be abolished out right. What the governor shall say can no
 jecturing any man may engage in for him.
 salf
 The door to the county commssioners' quarters in the big. court house bore yester- day card to the effect that visitors could not be admitted, as the commissioners were engaged in jury-drawing Meantime on the top floor Examiner Foster was boring over
 the commissioners books, working after facts whereon to base his official report to
 his superior, the governor of Alabama
 The situation is intensely interesting, and
 public with eager expectancy. The fight
 seems to be on, and there is promise that
 it will become a battle royal