The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-30
SALARY QUESTION
 CAUSE OF DEBATE Governor Will Probably be AL lowed $5000 a Year MR. LONDON MAKESSPEECH He Says He Is Heartily In Favor of the Raise, But Makes Suggestions
 About Increasing Funds In
 the Treasury.
 
MR. LONDON MAKESSPEECH

for the encampment of the national guard from 12,5O0 to $15,000. The first of these came on as unfinished business just after roll call A pending motion to postpone was disposed of and the bill was ordered to third reading.
 MT. London of Jefferson opened the debate for the bill. He prefaced his re- marks by saying 1t was well known he had not supported the present incumbent of the office in the primaries, that he had asked him for nothing and did not expect to ask him for any favors and. therefore. what he might say could not be construed as being animated by any motive back of the words themselves that he might utter. So far the amount itself was concerned. everyone knew that it was no measure of the services rendered by the incumbent of the great office. No man would serve as president of a corporation whose gross income was $2,6OOOO0 for the pitiful sum of s50O0 year. But the increase was due that the occupant of this high office might exist in some comfort and decency while in Montgomery. It was due the office.
 Treasury Is Shy.
 MT. London said if the condition of the treasury and the prospects of the finances were such as are represented by the gov ernor himself, he could not support this increase. He then went into a discussion of the matter of the assessed value and showed the discrepancy between what the census taker finds and the tax officers find, and reached the conclusion that there Is plenty of property here to pay all the demands upon the state and still allow a reduction of the tax rate Mir. Londons remedy Is not in niggardly keep ing down of such proper expenditures as this of the governors salary, but in more efficient ways of getting the property of the state on the tax lists. He was evl- dently taking the first opportunity to em- phasize and get up In a live way some measures of tax reform which he has it in mind to urge later on.
 MT. Bogart of Jackson, opposed the in- crease to S5.000 although he would vote for S4,000. He thought the discrepancy alluded to by MT. London is a fact, but 1t will continue to be a fact and he could not yet see how the revenues are to be increased in face of difficulties which have always been indispensable.
 MT. Wilkinson of Autauga, had voted yesterday for $4,000. He would now vote s5,0O0 as better than remaining at 5000. He found that by the census we are add ing $20.00OO00 annually to our wealth and he believed we could get in the money to meet the increase of $S ,000 in four years which the bill called for
 MT. Lowe of Lawrence, who was In inc constitutional convention, explained that the failure of that body to fix the salary was because 1t was properly a legislative matter.
 With MT. Lyons in the chair when the debate closed the bill passed by a vote of S2 to 15.
 Bills Introduced. On call of the counties the following bills were introduced:
 By Mir. Byrne of Baldwin-To compel persons who injure public roads or bridges by hauling unreasonable loads over them, to put them in repair
 By Mir. Mcdonald of Barbour-To reg ulate the conveying or mortga ging of un- planted crops
 By MT. Thompson of Bibb-To legal ize the registration of deeds of conyey- ance which have been filed in the probate offices within twelve months, but not within the time required by law.
 By MT. Rushton of Crenshaw-To au- thorize the treasurer of the counties to pay the actual expense of carving in- sane persons to the asylum.
 By Mr. Glover of Greene-To author ize the payment to the state treasury of sums due and in the county treasurfes.
 By MT. Benners of Jefferson-To pro- vide for the disposition of royalties here toIore or hereafter to be received by township trustees for the lease of 1etb section school lands for mining purposes
 By MT. Hickman of Jefferson-To em- power the counties to have made man or plat books showing all sub-divisions of lands.
 By MT. Blackburn of Jefferson-To reg ulate the running and operating of auto mobiles and the like on the public high ways. Naughter)
 By MT. Simpson of Lauderdale-To in- crease the annual appropriation of the normal colleges at Troy and Florence from s7.500 to $10,0O0.
 By MT. Fletcher of Madison-To author ize the city of Huntsville to issue not exceeding s20,OO0 of bonds for the erec- ton of an electric lightning plant
 Also a joint resolution authorizing the auditor to pay O.. P. Bartlett and W. H. Hubbard s1O each for helping count the money in the treasury.
 By MT. Foster of Pike-To make circuit clerks hard labor agents for the counties and provide for their pay.
 By MT. Lyman of Shelby-To provide for contesting any illegal special county taxes before they become delinquent. and pTOV1ue TOT reIunulnB any or Such special taxes as may have been paid before they were adjudged illegal
 Several bills none of any general im- portance, were reported favorably from committees and went on the calendar
 The rules committee reported favorably MT. Waldens resolution providing a spe- cial committee of fifteen on pensions and the soldiers home. and 1t was passed:
 The general bill regulating how bond ha1 hA fo1 f4x- ings and bridges was the calendar for passage, but 1t was laid over and three hundred copies ordered printed.
 Debate Over National Guard.
 There was quite a debate on the bill .n- creasing the appropriation to the national guard encampments from $12, 800 to s17, 800. It was about to pass without opposition when Mr. Lusk moved to reconsider the vote ordering 1t to third reading that he might offer an amendment. This was done and he moved to change the amount by restoring the figures to $125OO Starr of Dallas, who introduced the bill, made a vigorous defense of the proposed in- crease, and he was followed by Bankhead of Walker, who is major in the guard. on the same line. Both speeches showed how well and efficiently the guard does it's duty and how the present appropria- ton is inadequate. Mcdonald of Barbour chimed in with just a word as to the necessity of keeping up the guard to a high state of efficiency. Simpson of Lau- derdale moved an amendment to the