The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-21
MAY NOT CALL LEGISLATURE Governor Casts Doubt on Matter. SESSION NOT PROBABLE" Answer Made to a Birmlng-
 ham Committee. Delegation from Mineral City at Capital to Urge Recommendation for
 its Extension to States
 Lawmakers.


 time in November.
 Local legislation would be reduce,
 to a minimum if there should be an. at all."
 This much of the mind of Governo Jefks was given yesterday in a hearing
 of the Greater Birmingham Commit
 tee" which came to Montgomery fo
 that purpose.
 The issue of a larger Birmingham
 belongs to her citizens and those of th suburban towns. The issue of an extri
 session of the Legislature belongs |,
 the entire State and 1t was news whef Governor Jelks gave an opinion whici | reversed the original ideas pointing tt | the extra session.
 l Eli P Smith, Associate Editor of Tht | Birmingham News, was the chairman | of the delegation which called on tho Governor by appointment made week i ago. Mir. Smith and seven other Birm- | ingham citizens, representing as many | pubic organizations, surrounded the | Governor and put the question direct as to whether he had decided to con- vene the legislators in extra session Questioned singly the Governor had not even allowed the word to go out that he was thinking favorably or unfavor- | ably of the proposition.
 Listened fo Committee. but tHt KOtSBoAHk IUpAlCB WSTG tflG terse sentences which the Governor ut- tered when the delegation began its in- terview. Their mission was conting- ent on the extra session and headed by Mir. Smith, who individually repre- scented the Birmingham Board of Edu- cation on the committee. the visiting delegation wanted to know if the law
 makers were coming together. AL though told 1t would not be probable the lawmakers would be called to Mont
 gomery. the committeeman made known their wishes just the same as if they were sure of an extra session. The gentlemen wanted to know if the possible call for an extra session could be made broad enough to include -in
 it's purposes the passing of bill for extending the corporate limits of Birm- ingham After setting out the condi- tions favorable to Greater Birming- ham" the delegation, all of whom put in a word in favor of the project. was not given much encouragement by the Gov ernor if the movement hoped to succeed this year under guise of local legisla- ton.
 The Governor let it be known that in the event of an extra session he will not yield to the pressure that will in- evitably be brought in favor of local legislation. He said if Q precedent were to be made in favor of enlarging Birmingham in a local bill other local measures would come up without end and fairly overwhelm the Solons for time. Instead of promising to include
 in the call the making of law for
 bigger Birmingham. therefore, the Gov ernor suggested that bill be drawn of a general nature that would ac-
 complish the same designs of the com
 mittee.
 sugEests . General Law. It would be possible, the Governor as-
 sured the delegation, for the Legisla- ture. if it met, to. pass bill applicable
 to all towns and cities in the State, for instance, divide them into classes, into one of which Birmingham would fall. If a vote of the people in the territory
 proposed to be annexed should be in favor of stretching the corporate linn
 its then 1t would be taking advantage of the option offered in the general law Hon. John W. Tomlinson, who rep
 resented the city of Birmingham at
 large, and is a prominent attorney liv- ing there expressed doubt as to the possibility of the movement getting satisfaction out of a general law. He would not commit himself to any defin- ite opinion on the matter but said he would look into the law and see if it
 were possible to accomplish the pur-
 poses desired. He was the lawyer who drafted the bill which the Legislature passed over ten years ago defining the present corporate limits of Birming- ham, He has been a close follower or all movements looking to bringing the various suburban towns of the Birm- ingham district into a single municipal ity. In recognition of his practice in leeislaticn of this sort he was put on the committee as delegate-at-large to | wait on the Governor.
 RfrmfnKham Delegation. The members of the committee who were in the conference with the GoV- ernor were Ell P. Smith of the Board Of Education. Hon. John W. Tomlinson of the city-at-large; John c. Forney' representing the Mayor: John w. IO'Neill. of the Commercial Club; J. D. shelby, of the Board of Trade; B. H. Cooper, of the Board of Mayor and AL dermen; J. H. F. Moseley, of the Trades Council, and R. B. Smyer. of the Jet- l ferson County Sanitary Commission. These comrrise the whole list or suo- stantial and influential organizations or Birmingham. The sending of delegates
 to represent each on the committee sig nifles that 1t endorses the Greater Bir-
 miugham idea fully. The movement was inaugurated, as was explained by | the spokesman, by the Commercial Club and was joined by the other or ganizations later.
 "Sanitaticn and schools said Chalr- man Smith to a representative of The
 Advertiser, "are the main inducements | depended upon to make the population of Birmingham practically 10000 in- stead of 50, 900. The sentiment in favor of making the city this large is greater now than 1t has ever been. It Is nc doubt the logical moment for definite action and that Is the reason we hope | to get the necessary legislation at the | extra session. if ene Is called. "The only opposition to the move ment can be found almost in the shape | of a few corporations who have fought | it In the past and will fight 1t in tho future They have their own interest | to look after while we represent tho | mass of citizens who will be benefited. Unique Annexation Plan. The committee came to the Governor
 with tentative outline of the proposed | bill. It would be based on a division | of the new territory into what should be known as tax-paying and non-tax paying districts. It would mean tha | the property owners in the annexe, | territory would have the choice of say | ing whether they will subject them selves to taxation imposed under tn | regular rates or pay no taxes at all t' the main government.
 | If the citizens in one district shoult decide not to pay taxes" said a membe of the delegation. they would not enjo, | the protection of the fire department O | Greater Birmingham nor the benefits O the city schools. They would be ex tended police protection and made C | pay individually for the sewer connec tions. On he other hand. If the'