The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-24
NEW CITY CODE GOES THROUGH Passes House Despite
 Johns Attack. HE SUCCEEDS IN AMENDING IT Gunter Champions Bill as It Came
 From Committee. Provislon Inserted 7robibiting Corpora tion OMcers From Holding City OMee, and section on School Evil is stricken Out.

True to his promise to contest cer- tain sections of the municipal code bill, Col. Sam Will John opened up his bat teries yesterday afternoon on MT. Gun ter of Montgomery, when that bill came up for consideration.
 The bill. slightly amended, was passed. but not before the member from Jefferson and the member from Mont. gomery had indulged in several tilts. and when the bill finally went to a vote. Colonel John asked permission to ex- plain his vote and registered it against the whole bill.
 Hostilities were opened immediately after MT: Gunter called t for ,teodeaad the feadi a resolution that called for reading of the bill section by section.
 MT. Gunter said that MT. John had stated in a Birmingham newspaper that looked as though that gentleman was going to do all he could to interrupt its passage. He moved to table the resolution, whereupon MT. John ana the Montgomery. member got into somewhat heated discussion of a per sonal character until they were stopped by the speaker on a. point of order From that moment on Mr, John was ready with motions to amend several sections and MT. Gunter was as prompt to move that his motions be tabled He managed, however, 10 have sec tion in the code amended that related to the way in which aldermen should be elected and the number to be elected in large cities. and he supported support !, ., a provided for the segregation 9f the social evil, which motion prevailed.
 Another matter that Mir. John sue in connection with the municipal code bill was an added section that pro- vides that persons cannot hold pub lie office in a city and at the same time be holding an offiee in ,;c.s cHrpop, T, that city.
 Gunter Talks for Bill.
 When MT. Gunter called for the read ing of the municipal code bill he said ures ever brought before the House. He recalled the two bills hung up in 1903 and told how both failed to pass becauee the House could not agree:
 He spoke of the work of the joint how 1t considered the bill section by section and how tbe committee that had considered that bill during the present session had also gone over 1t section by section without making any
 The biii in its prirted form, he said. had been before the members of the Legislature for two weeks and he had not heard a single adverse criticism
 He maintained that the bill is as per feet as the committee could make 1t, after forty days of hard work in which the members of the committee had neg
 Charters had been made before and passed as local law and without proper considerations. He spoke or sections in the charter of Montgomery. Birm- members of the House did not know what was in those charters.
 The municipal code, he said, might not affect the smaller towns now, but when they grew in population they It would allow cities of over 1000 to be called cities and to contract as such. The only objection he had heard 10 the bill was that 1t gave corpoTatlons olfe he thought 1t was not objectiona- bIe. it had been considered in commit tees and it was thought that the power given therein was not an im- proper one for municipal corporations Tilt of John and Gunter.
 Mir, John introduced resolution thMst M the aunter n be eaed ffad sy to fact that there are 136 sections iii the bill. He criticised MT. John for having publicly said the bill could not pass 'nf He nGuSS moved % to takS the resolution .of MT. John after MT. John had been given
 MT. Sherord said he believed all the members were friendly to the bill. He thought to read the bill section by sec tion would be a waste of time, there- fore he objected to the resolution
 MT. Pitts. of Dallas. said he had ,i spent two days reading the pili through. The gentlemen wno ha9 prepared the bill were proud of it and they ought to be. ~ Mir. Johns resolution was tabled. MT. Long of Butler offered an amendment to Section by adding provision that any @municipal omceI elected after the passage of the act prior to January 1. 1908. should hold office until the first Monday in October 1910, or until their successors are elect ed and qualified.
 The amendment was adopted by a