The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-18
Railroad, Telegraph, Telephone
Assessed b. Market Quotations
CHILD LABOR QUESTION UP
Much Interest In Hamburger Bill to
Relieve Storm Sufferers-Com-
pulsory Poll Tax-$3oo,ooo
for Schools.

Montgomery January 17.-(Special.)-
The senate led today in the passage of
laws for the session of 1907. giving unanl-
nous approval to the bill reported favor
ably by the committee on judiciary the
day before for the taxation of railroad,
telegraph and long distance telephone
property. The bill was introduced by
Mr.. I,usk, floor leader of the majority.
ind provides that such property shall be
assessed according to the values placed
on 1t by the stock markets and the re-
turns made to the railroad commission.
In his speech In favor OF the bill Mr..
Lusk said that the holdings of this class
Of corporations were not assessed as the
property of others in the state, and gave
1t as his opinion that 1t WAS not now
under the present plans. paying more
thane one-hfth the amount Of the taxes
1t should. He said that one railroad in
the state gave in it's property at $4,000 a
mile and it was listed on the stock ex-
changes at $1,000 to $4,000 a mile. The
MlI passed with every senator present
citing aye.
Mr. Merritt moved to take from the ad-
erse calendar the report of the commit
zee on revision of laws whereby his bill
10 reduce the tag tax from 80 cents
ton on fertilizers to 10 cents, Is turned
down. The senate also agreed to the Joint
resolution of the house urging Congress
to provide a sub-treasury at Birmingham,
and calling for the examination of the
trial institute.
The house appointed a committee to in
vestigate failure to return a general reve-
nue. bill, which was to have been present.
ed by the committee at the beginning of
the session. Measures were also present
ed in both houses amending the poll tax
law so as to make 1t compulsory. The
bills to regulate collection of claims, and
prohibiting free passes were reported fa-
vorably by the senate common carriers
committee with amendments, and 1900
copies of the bill to regulate railroad rates
were ordered printed.
Bills to increase the salaries of the SUI
preme court judges were reported favor
ably in the house, and Mr.. Goodwin pre-
sented measures to give the state treas
ferson Davis home.
The senate committee reported also the
bill providing cent fares on all railroads.
Child Labor Question.
The child labor question is up for dis
cussion just now In the capital city,
there being here today men and women
representing most every feature of the
situation The child labor committee Of
the state, of Which Edgar Gardner Muir
ply is a member, and DIR. B. j. Baldwin
of Montgomery, chairman, met last night
at the residence of DR.. Baldwin and
blocked out a bill Today G. w. Pratt
of Pell City, president of the Alabama
Cotton Manufacturers association came
to the city to discuss with the governor
a bill which has been prepared under
the auspices of his organization.
The bill of the Alabama committee pro-
vides that boys under fourteen and girls
under sixteen shall not be worked In the
mills, unless they be orphans or sole sup
port of widowed parents. In that case
they may work down to twelve. No chill
dren of any age are to be worked more
than sixty hours week nor eight hours
q night. Neither are they to be work Il
more than eleven hours in any one day.
The bill provides for inspector Of
mills and factories at a salary Of 81 500 Il
year and $500 year for expenses.
The bill prepared by Mr.. Pratt and ais
associates follows the Georgia law in
most sections. The age limit Is fourteen
with minimum of twelve for children
who have to support themselves or IN
dlgent parents. Each child who goes
into the mills must have gone to school
at least twelve weeks in the year before.
six of which must have been continuous.
The law is TO apply to mines and all
other Industries In the state the same as
TO mills and factories. The bill Is all that
any OF the adherents of child labor legis-
lation ask with enlargement Of scope to
take in all Industries Governor Conner,
who il one Of the largest mill men OF the
state, is said to be in FAVOR or the Pratt
| bill.
The following were at the meeting OF
| the committee at the home OF DR. Bald
win last night: DR.. y. j. Baldwin, Rev.
Neal Anderson. Rev. r. f. Cobbs Mont
gomerv. John Craft Mobile: Judge ]. y.
Castor. Judge w. H. Thomas, Fred Ball.
Frank p. Glass. Montgomery; Mrs James
A. Going, Mrs Joseph McLester, Biz
mingham: Mrs j. p. Ross, Auburn. were
present TO represent the woman's fedora
| tion OF clubs Of which they are the legis-
| latiye committee.
Relief of Storm Sufferers.
There is much interest at the capitol in
the bill which Senator Max Hamburger
will present tomorrow to set aside $4,000
from the state treasury Tor the relief Of
| the people who lost all their property on
| the coast at the time OF the awful
storm last September. There has been
| some discussion of the legality of such
an appropriation but the friends Of the
! measure think it will pass "nsfcr 30
! far as the law goes.
| John Craft a we'll known business man
| OF Mobile who Is In the city. Is doing all
ne can to encourage the passage of the
| bill He said today that a state of two
million population ought to provide this