The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-11
ROGUE PLEADS FOR ECONOMY Opposes Raising Salaries
 of Judges AMBITION OF SENATORS Senate RecOmmitted Meas ure to a Committee. Upper House Passed a Number of Important Measures, Including
 One to Prevent Alter
 ing of Bills.

Senator w. F. Hogue of Perry contrib uted the notable feature of yesterday session of the Senate in speech which he declared would be his last plea for economy in the administration of the af- fairs of the State; his last protest against what he regards as a dangerous tendency on the part of the upper house to in crease appropriations along every line. The fight was over a bill introduced by Senator Blackmon of Calhoun provid- ing for an increase in the salaries of the Circuit Judges from $500 to s3,0OO per year. It ended by recommitting the meas ure to the committee from which 1t had emanated. This was the only incident of special interest during the session. communication was received from the Alabama Federation of Women's Clubs | withdrawing the request recently made l that the Legislature in joint session hear Mrs. R. D. Johnston of Birmingham at noon today.
 Routine of the Senate. l The roll call found thirty-three Sena- tors present. Senator Spragins of Madi- son was given leave of absence for the day.
 One of the most important bills intro duced was that by Senator Screws of Montgomery to divide Montgomery Coun- l ty into five revenue districts and pro- vide for the appointment of members and clerk of the Board of Revenue of the county.
 | A measure presented by Senator Colds by of Mobile provides for the extension of the existing indebtedness of the cor poration known as the Mayor, Aldermen l and Common Council of tn city of Mo- | bile.
 To establish an Inferior Court of record I Fn- n nraSCrfha da- | fine the Jurisdiction thereof and to pro- vide for the officers thereof, Is the title of a bill introduced by Senator Acree of l Dale.
 1 Permission for the officers of the town | of Enterprise to issue bonds for the pur- pose of establishing water works and an electric lighting plant. and to provide for the redemption of said bonds Is the pur- pose of a bill introduced by Senator Ar rington of Coffee.
 Other bills introduced were: One by Senator Lynne of Morgan, to amend sec tion 24sS of the Code; one by Senator Casteberry of Talladega, to amend sec ton 1883 of the Cole; one by Senator Rod gers of Sumter to amend section 376 of the Code of 1896 ;on by Senator Powell of Butler, to amend section 4615 of the Code, and one by Senator Harrison of Lee to amend section 1l5s of the Code,
 To Defeat Blackmon's Bill.
 That Senator Hogue was out for the defeat of Senator Blackmons bill, in- creasing the salaries of the Judges of the Circuit Courts was apparent as soon as the business of the day was taken up. This bill had been made the special order immediately after the reading of the jour- nal. but by an oversight the call of dis tricts was taken up in its stead One bill had been introduced when Senator Blackmon called attention to the fact that consideration of his bill had been set for that time.
 The Senator from Perry entered a pro- test. He declared that since other busi- ness had been taken up. the bill in ques- ton had lost its place on the calendar.
 Senator Blackmon was not inclined to yield. He urged immediate consideration of his measure, declaring that 1t could be disposed of in fifteen minutes, The chairman ruled in his favor and the bill was read
 Senator Hogue was on his feet at once He protested vigorously against what seemed to him disposition on the part of the Senate to raise salaries of the ju- dietary without warrant. and wondered how Senator Blackmon should have known that it would take but fifteen mln- utes to pass the bill. To him the whole | affair looked like a part of a prear- rar ged program, a scheme to get certain measures through and do" the State, at | whatever cost, and in which, he de- clared. certain Senators appeared in a questionable light. He held that the sal aries paid the judiciary in this State was In every way sufficient and cited the salaries paid similar officers in other | States in support of his contention.
 Hogue Scores Officeholders. | ha Ind about half the year." declared MT. Hogue, and they are paid $25O0 per year. Will a salary of 5000 insure the State any better service at their hands? The claim Is made that there is congestion in some | of the dockets Is this the remedy you propose to apply? Tn my opinion none of them is overworked. Appropriations az gregating $75,000 in excess of those of the last session have already been made, and yet nothing has been said of the pro- posed appropriation for the Improvements for the Capitol The effort to dispel ig- norance in the State by dealing in n proper manner with questions affecting the schools. has been half-hearted, while every effort is being put forth to satisfy | the insatiate greed of the hungry office holder.
 But I can partly understand the atti- tude of the Senate in this matter. Out 
 twenty-nine are lawyers, and some per haps are ambitious to don the ermine some day. The hunger of these men in planning for the future stops not even at the Constitution. for in the bill You propose to pass in fifteen minutes you directly violate the provision of that doc ument which states that the salaries of civil officers shall not be increased or diminished during tfeir terms of office. The proposition is wholly without justi- ficaton"--
 Salary Bill Recommitted.
 Senator Norman of Chambers in the main supported the position taken by Sen ator Hogue. He declared that the Judge In his district was overworked, but that the increase of salaries would not solve the problem. He contended that the redis- | tricting of the State was what was need | ed, and that this should be attended to before touching the salary question Senator Bullock of Franklin moved +o make the salary provision not apply to the present incumbents of the Circuit In | dietary.
 l Senator Blackmon moved to table tho motion, but lost, the Senate voting to adopt the amendment.
 l Senator Blackmon then moved to recorn- init the bill to the Committee on Revision | of Laws and this prevailed | House bin 79, amending the present lau so as to permit. under certain restrictions | the extension of the terms of pupils a f the State institutions for he deaf and