The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-01-21
BIG ISSUES WILL COME UP TOMORROW Two Cent Fare and Rate Regu-
 Iation Combatted PRESIDENT FINLEY TO TALK And Other Railroad Officials Heard From-Joint Session VIII Elect
 United States Senator's
 Masters Measure.
PRESIDENT FINLEY TO TALK

Montgomery, January 20.-(Special J. Tuesday promises to be notable in the history of the present session of the legislature. On that day the 2-cent fare bill will come up in the Senate, a joint session will elect two United States sena- tors and an open meeting will be held to discuss the rate regulation measure
 At no time in the history of the state has the law making body chosen two sen ators at the same session, making the selections to be made Tuesday unique
 The impression prevails that there will be no easy sailing for the bill to reduce the passenger fares; neither will the pro posed masters liability measure take the Journey to passage with ease and dis- patch.
 Several leading railroad men will be here to discuss the rate measure Tuesday and present the railroad side of the sit uation. Among these will be President W. W. Finley of the Southern railroad, A. R. Smith, vice-president of the Louis- Vile and Nashville, and J. F. Hanson, president of the Central of Georgia.
 Hard Fight Liability Act.
 A member of the majority of the Sem ate said this afternoon that he doubted very much the justice of the Masters lia- bility act in that it makes the employer the victim of any carelessness of those in his employ; also that it extends to every form of corporation.
 Suppose you employ two negroes and one of them drops a brick on the others foot, you become liable for damages as 8 result' he said.
 Numbers of letters are being received in opposition to the measure
 The same senator said that he believed 1t would be unfair to the railroads to reduce the passenger fares There is. however, a general impression that the rate regulation bill along with reciprocal demurrage and settlement of claims measures, will have comparatively easy sailing. There does not appear any op- position to this feature of the situation, and as 1t looks now administration plans will carry to success The understand ing Is that while Governor Conner is tacitly in favor of 2Hs-cent fares he is not lending much time to 1t, preferring to utilize his efforts in the interest of rate reduction car service rules and claims legislation. With all this though, friends of the passenger fare reductions
 
 issue is fairly drawn.
 Military Appropriation.
 The military men are working on the present session for an increased appro- priation. Chairman Long of the mil- tary committee in the House will pre- sent bill early in the week urging an Increase of the appropriation to $30000 in order that the men may go to en- campments without paying much of the expense themselves.
 Several leading members of the guard have had men here recently looking to such legislation.
 The bill of Representative Haley to ratify the action of the City Council of Birmingham In allowing the Illinois Cen lal to close certain portions of Eff teenth street is being combatted. A representative of the property owners was here today to see some of the members and a petition signed by many has been sent down.
 It is reported that an effort will be made to adjourn the legislature about February IA to the middle of July This seems the only way to dispose of the vol ume of business before 1t. While 1t Is regarded as certain that the bill to ap- propriate $4000O0 to the common schools will be shaved fourth to meet the views of Governor Conner there are some who will fight for the full amount.
 Representative Long of Morgan said to- night that he was in favor of shaving off other allotments and give this much to the schools that stood so much in need of help.