The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-23
Alabama Lawmakers Tackle the
 Now Popular Subject
VERY LITTLE ACCOMPLISHED
Bill Which Provides for School Dis tricts Instead of Townships Takes
 Up Time of House and Is Passed-LocaI Bills.

Montgomery, September 22.-(SpeciaI.)- Very little legislation of general nature resulted from today's sessions of the Ala bama legislature The senate spent the better part of the day in discussing the bill regulating license taxes to be levied by municipalities while the house con- sumed more than half the time of the day session in the consideration of the bill redistricting the public schools of the state The bill as passed does away with the center of population of the several To- ealities as basis
 The measure had its origin in the of- flee of the superintendent of education, and has been carefully drawn so as to best meet the very necessary rearrange- ment of the county districts. It does not affect incorporated towns.
 The house put on airs'' this afternoon, and put itself on record as an up-to-date fashionable body by rather heated dis cussion of the race question. The discus sion arose over a very simple little bill to increase the annual appropriation for the colored normal school at Montgomery.
 Members Had Chance to "Orate."
 Some of the members with long pent up eloquence on the race problem found in the bill a slight chance to "orate' how ever, and they proceeded to 'let her roll" ]" The discussion was started by Represen- tative Wood who comes from the town where the Booker Washington school is located, and he told the house in very frank ltnguage I'hat he thought of the proposit.pn-io. edsasate the negro. While talking on, "a Jill he made several refer ences to II Tuskegee school which showed that he was not friendly to the purposes of that institution. There vratP plenty of members to take more elnal eervative view of the subject however and they won out by margin of two votes A clerical error. insaddition by the reading clerk discovered after the an- nouncement Aof the vote will make it ne- oessary to reconsider on tomorrow for the purpose of correction.
 Even had the members not been in a talking mood, 1t is extremely doubtful if they could have accomplished much to- day.
 Lobbyists In Evidence.
 The third house" was more in evidence than on any previous day. and members were actually forced to "elbow'' their
 
 part the lobbyists here today were looking after the anti-boycott bill
 They came both pro and con, but the pros seemed to have it on the cons in numbers, and If they ever succeed in get ting the bill before the house 1t is pre- dicted that they will have it on them for keeps.
 The labor union people are fighting the bill to the finish, but they have very powerful influence to overcome if they succeed in their effort to defeat 1t.
 The Bankhead insurance bill al-o brings pretty lively lobby from the four largest municipalities of the state-Birmingham Mobile, Montgomery and Selma. These cities do not want to be cut out of the several thousands of revenue that the bill threatens. Another bill that interests the lobby Is Senator Halls antitrust bill, which seeks to prevent foreign corpora tions doing business in the state. All corporations doing business must be in- corporated under the laws of Alabama, which are made much more liberal in some respects than formerly. The bill even effects foreign loan concerns.
 Morgan and Hobson.
 Two of the states most interesting characters were at the capitol today and while they were not lobbying" still they were continuing centers of interesting
  distinguished visitors were Senator John T. Morgan and Captain Richmond P. Hobson. Both gentlemen called upon the governor in the forenoon, and after for nal greetings with the chief executive, which were very cordial, they were kept busy with throngs of prominent men who had learned of their presence at the cap itol.
 As matter of course there are still many Alabamians who are not personally acquainted with the distinguished young naval officer, and had to go through with the formal introduction, but 1t was lit- tie surprising to find members of the leg islature who had never before seen Sem ator Morgan. Of course, these were few but they were each most anxious to shake the hand of the great statesman. By joint resolution, Senator Morgan will address both houses at noon tomorrow.
 Morgan Has a Measure.
 Senator Morgan comes to Montgomery as a lobbyist and not unlike a great many others, his project carries with it an appropriation, but a very small one He wants a joint resolution passed providing for an official investigation and test of the large and rich deposits of cement rock that are known to exist along the banks of the Alabama, Warrior, and Bigbee rivers. His purposes for desiring the test is obvious. When the construction work of the great isthmian canal starts there will be created demand for enor- nous quantities of cement Senator Nor gan desires the official report on the Ala hama deposits that the attention of the builders of the canal may be directed to thas state as the best source of supply He will probably touch upon tns subject in his speech tomorrow.
 The house passed a couple of dozen local bills tonight, the senate bill authorizing the transfer in any civil cause. pending in the City court of Bessemer, in the county of Jefferson, in the state of Ala bama, to the Circuit court of Jefferson county in said state or to the city court of Birmingham. in said state, or to any other court of competent Jurisdiction, sitting in the city of Birmingham The bill to enlarge the boundary limits of West End was also passed. Other bills passed provided for the establishment of dispensaries at Rutledge, Ozark, Fauns- dale and Pickens county; Etowah game