The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-27
SENATE PASSES BILL TO AID
 STATE FAIR ASSOCIATIONS


 the Constitutional point raised by Sen ator Reynolds. He quoted from the Constitution, and showed that the title of the bill was In harmony with 7 constitutional requirements. <
 "The gentlemen who are arguing < ,t this Is money making pfopositi 'dre in error said Senator Spragins T know better. I have some money in- vested in a fair association and l kiss ed it good bye when put it in. If any senator will point out single man who ever drew dividends from a fair asso- citation I'll cheerfully oppose the bill.''
 Senator Spragins showed that the Fair Association at Huntsville was not local concern. It's vice-president liv- ed in Lawrence County. and it's direc- tors lived throughout the counties of the Tennessee Valley. He reviewed previous legislation for the help of fair associations in Alabama. For many years it had been the policy of the State to help the Agricultural fairs of the State. That policy had been abandoned only because of the hue and cry raised against pool selling at some of the fairs. New York was each year, giving $5,000 to each of it's county fair associations. Tennessee had only resently appropriated s25.Oo0 a year for its agricultural fairs.
 Debafc over Fair Measure.
 Senator Merritt said he opposed the measure with some regret. The Presi- dent of the Montgomery Association was his kinsman, strong man and a business genius. But the bill establish ed bad legislative precedent. It was not for this year or for four years, but 1t was legislative precedent for years to come. He could find no reason for supporting the measure, and he knew of no reason which a senator could give his people for supporting 1t. Sen ator Merritt said he had reasons to be- lieve whiskey had been sold at the Montgomery Fair, and he questioned Senator Teasley on this point. Senator Teasley replied the Montgomery Fair Grounds was in prohibition territory, and that no license had been paid.
 Senator Miller advocated the bill as Chairman of the Committee on Finances and Taxation. He combatted the idea that the fair associations were local in stitutions. They were but forums for the distribution of premiums to vari- ous counties of the State He support ed the position of Senator Spragins that no man had ever made money out of fair association, and no man ex- pected to make money out of 1t. The speaker himself had invested in a fair association. and he never expected to get back that money.
 Senator Miller said that for fear some of the Senator's might believe the treasury would be broken by the bill, it's effect on the treasury had been considered and the bill was a part of the budget" of which he had said so much.
 Senator Hamburger spoke eloauently In support of the bill. He had an amendment which he proposed to offer, hut ha wanted if he not permit the amendment to stand in the way of the success of the measure The amendment proposed to allow the Gulf Coast Tropical Fair Association recently organized in Mobile, the sum of $S,500. The amendment, he ex- plained. increased the total appropria- tion to s33.500.
 Senator Overton strongly urged the passage of the bill for it's educative value to the farmers of the State.
 Did any farmers In Randolph have exhibits at Montgomery and what kind of exhibits were they?" asked Sena- tor Merritt smiling,
 Many of our farmers visited Mont gomery, and as to exhibits the Sena- tor from Macon seems to know more about them than anybody else. for he Is the only man who says positively that whiskey was sold at the Montgom- cry Falr" said Senator Overton. and the Senate laughed.
 Senator Reese in a forceful speech supported the bill. and Senator Leith, in humorous speech, closed the dis cussion of the bill.
 StrOther Municipal Hill Passes. =
 The situation on municipal legisla- tion In the senate was to some extent untangled by the passage of the Stroth- CT municipal bill Senator Spragins at- tempted to substitute the we'll known Walker bill. whicn was before the last Legislature. and which had been en- dorsed by Judge J. J. Mayfield as being the best general bill on municipal gov- ernment. But the Senate declined to accept the Walker bill. and voted to pass the Strother bill, which was not So long and which did not cover so many subjects.
 The present municipal governments of Alabama cities have, as a general thing. been opposed to the Walker bill on the ground that it upsets too many existing conditions. The Walker bill is complete municipal code. GOV ering every municipal subject. Repre- sentatives of municipal governments in every section of the State have been conferring on this subject, but no agreement has been reached except the tacit agreement that the Walker bill. as meritorious as tt is interferes too much with political and governmental conditions which now exist,
 The bill introduced by Senator Strother is understood to represent the views of the city authorities of Birmingham. Montgomery and Mobile, and perhaps of other cities of the state, The municipal ots who have been conferring seem to have agreed upon number of bills, dealing with municipal subjects, hut they are unwilling that general municipal code shall be adopt ed at this time They are expecting to get through a number of separate bills at this session. and perhaps by the time the next Legislature meets, the towns and cities may he ready to unite in the adoption of municipal code.
 The Strother bill. in it's principal feature, provides q way whereby city charters could be amended. Until it Is finally passed by the Legislature the cities of the State must continue to do business under their old charters. In addition to this. the bill in general reg ulates the municipal corporations of the State
 Protest against Gray's Ruling.
 A signed protest against a ruling of Lieutenant Governor Gray was yester- day offered ivy Senator Thomas and several of his colleagues. but later in the day senator Thomas announced it had been determined to withdraw the protest, as 1t was believed the PresI- dent made his ruling inadvertently.
 The ruling came up on the attempt of Senator Leith to get his resolution from the Rules Committee. which had adverscd it. The resolution in qurS- tion provided for the creation of q committee to investigate the fertilizer trust. Senator Reynolds made the