The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-12
RECOMMENDS THAT CITIES z
 OF STATE BE CLASSIFIED


 the conclusion that it was letter than the one had prepared. An examina- tion of this bill will show that i.n in estimable amount of labor has been bestowed upon it, and whatever excel lency it contains Is due to MT. Wake: and Mr. London. or others ~hp assts- ted in it's preparation.
 "The second bill is a bill lS create uniform laws with those of other States as to negotiable instruments; this Jiil is so familiar to Your Gxcellency and the Legislature that 1t will Lardly e. quire an examination. It Is the law which prevails in England upon that subject and which has been adopted by majority of the States Tn the Un- ion. has been recommended at nearly every annual session of tho National Bar Association, and of he Alabama State Bar Association. While our laws upon this subject are very good, 1t is thought by majority thatsin this age of rapid communication Ind transit, the laws of the States upon this subject should be uniform. and this is the uni- formity agreed upon. Commercial pa- per is said to be courier without IuEgage;" if this be true. # certainty should not be winged messenger in one State, and crippled 'ramp in another.
 1nG SlXLu ana QtNtSlOH A f-AllS, tO fix the salaries of Justices, jCdSs and chancellors of this State and to pr,- vide for the travelling expenses of cir cult judges and chance1lors, I believe and hope will be recognized by all fairminded people as just and proper. It is a we'll known fact that when the salaries of these officers were fixed the State was poor, as well as its people, and the cost of living was scarcely more than half what it is now; and at this time, 1t is we'll knowh fact that the salary paid these officers is but little more than their actual expenses, necessary for the support of themselves and family. did not make the proposed changes in the statute for that l doubted the au- thority or propriety of doing so, but deemed 1t proper and just that tt should be incorporated in this proposed bill.
 Bill No. is a Dill to provide for court stenoEraphers or reporters. It Is a well known fact that 4early every lawyer in the State, as we'll as every business man who has any office work of any consequence to do, provides him. self or is provided with stenographer, so it does seem that the state should provide equal service for the transac- tion of its business in the courts. If this bill is enacted, believs 1t will go a long way toward relieving .he dock cts of the courts of this State of their congested condition and of iisposing of the business pending and to be brought in the courts,
 "The ninth bill is intended to provide for the examination and admission of applicants to practice law in the State of Alabama; it creates a Board of EN- aminers, provides for the examination and the issuing of a license It Is practically the bill prepared by MT. James Weatherly and the late Judge WiIkerson and endorsed by the Ala bama State Bar Association.
 saThe titles of the other bills are suf- ficIent to show their object and pur- pose, and as they are very short, the reading of them will be as satisfactory and more comprehensive than sepa- rate report.
 Very respectfully submitted,
 "J. J. Mayfield."
 Details of Classification.
 The bill recommended for the clas- sification of cities and towns of the State provides for four classes, as has been indicated. The incorporation of any city or town in these classes is to be left to the voters at an election to be held within from twenty to thirty days from the date of an ordinance providing for the same. This ordi- nance is to be passed at the request of 500 citizens in places large enough to be listed in the first class; 100 in the second class, and fifty in the third class.
 Provision is further made for the or- ganization of the city into wards. Elections would be held biennially on the first Tuesday in May. City Coun- cils of the cities in the first class would consist of seven Councilmen-a n-at-large and one from each ward. Councils of cities and towns in the second class would consist of the Mayor and two Councilmen from each ward. In towns of the third class, the Council would include the Mayor and six Councllmen. The salary for the Mayors of cities and towns would be fixed by the local Coun- cils, maximum limit being placed at S2,500.
 The bill recommended for the crea- tion of the court stenographer would provide for the selection of only such applicants as should have passed satisfactory test for the position. This official would be required to take oath of office As remuneration, he would receive $5 a day for every days work, and would be permitted to charge 10 cents a folio of one hundred words for every transcript which he might fur nish on order.
 ExaminatIOn. of Lawyers.
 Not the least important recommenda- tion in the eyes of the Commissioner was that referring to the appointment of Board of Examiners for the ad- mission of members to the State Bar. The bill providing for this law pre- scrIbed that the members of the Board must consist of five members, to be ap- pointed by the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. They would serve four years, and in the event of a death during a term, the Chief Jus tice should appoint a successor to serve until the expiration of the term of the deceased The first appointments should be made in March, 1907. The only requirement. for the office is that the appointee shall be a practicing at turney of Alabama
 Examinations by the Board would be held twice year, the first Wednesdays in April and in October being desig- mated. The questions submitted would include tests in eight subjects, as fol- lows: The laws, of real property. the laws of personal property; the laws of pleading and evidence, commercial law. chancery and chancery pleading, the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Ala bama.
 The bill requires eighteen months of study of law by the applicant, previous to the examination.