The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-05
EVERYONE PLEASED BY THE SIGNING OF
 LOAN TAX REPEAL Only Half of Bill Was Signed But Lawyers Believe It
 Will Hold ALL KEPT MUM" UNTIL GOVERNOR HAD APPROVED Enrolling Clerk In Copying Bill Failed To Copy One Section and It Was Thus Signed By Gray and
 Carmichael.

8There was, sigh of relief almost audi ple' when the announcement was made in The Age-Herald yesterday that Gov ernor Conner had signed the Haley bill. repeating the bill taxing foreign money loaned in the state.
 AS is remembered, when this bill was lrst proposed there was a howl from every corner of the state, one that echoed and re-echoed. However, it was passed Then there was an effort made for its repeal. There were interviews after in- teryiews published in the local papers. Governor Conner came out in a card up- holding his positon-whch was in favor of the bill. And still the howl contin- ued.
 Then the repeal was passed only to fall dead before the nacton of the gov ernor. Then it was passed again, and the governor has signed it.
 Hence, the sigh of relief
 But 1t is not generally known that the document to which Governor Conner at tached his signature day before yester- day was not the entire act repeating the bill taxing the companies lending for eisn money.
 It is very probable that Governor Co., mer is not aware of that fact, as yet. While it was known that one section of the bill was missing, much secrecy was maintained until the governor attached his signature.
 Consisted of Two Sections.
 As is generally known the bill con- sisted of two sections, 1921 and 1922. Thir- teen-twenty-one was written on the type writer. Thirteen-twenty-t was clipped from The AgeHerald, and pasted be- heath the preceding section.
 The enrolling clerk, in copying the bill did not copy both sections. It was only the first section which was signed by the president of the senate and the speaker Of the house. It was but the one section which the governor signed.
 But it so happens that the section signed and in effect is the principal sec ton and the other is of little compara- tive value. Representative Haley stated | yesterday that the missing section amounted to little, and he Is positive that the act, as it exists today, will hold. | Senator Miller in discussing this error
 with an Herald reporter several days 1 ago. stated it as his opinion, too, that | if the governor signed section 1921, the full effect of the bill would be felt. Everyone Expresses Pleasure. | Of numerous citizens interviewed yes terday afternoon, there was no one who | hesitated to express his pleasure that | the bill taxing companies lending for eign money was dead one" This unan- imous expression came from men in every walk of life, bankers, doctors, merchants farmers, lawyers and other 1 politicians. It was the unanimous opin- l ion that the repeal of the law would | cause a return of foreign money into | the state, which is needed especially in l Birmingham. It was pointed out that l the majority of the buildings of the city, 1 ana the homes of the people were erected | on foreign money borrowed at a mod ] crate rate of interest.
 Mr. Haley, who introduced the act | killing the original bill. was elated. Sen ator Miller expressed confidence that the repeal of the bill meant great things for Birmingham. Lieutenant Governor Gray | saw the removal of a handicap to con | tnued prosperity. John Bradley, clerk | of the criminal court. thought .he re- | peal of the bill one of the wise acts of the late legislature.
 1 Others predicted an immediate return ! of the money lending companies which 1 have already withdrawn from the state. l One concern announced yesterday that | 1t was ready to resume the lending or | money on the old rate of interest No 1 one thing could have pleased more peo- | ple in Birmingham than the signing or l the Haley bill by Governor Conner.