The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-09
Among Them is Senator Nil
IeI's Greater BIrning-
ham Measure
RECENT SESSION WAS
ONE OF HARMONY
Most of the Laws Promised in the
Campaign Were Passed-NotabIe
Exception Was an Anti
Lobby Measure.

Montgomery, March S.--(special. )-There
are only twenty bills yet to be
signed by the governor. none of which
are of the kind to require immediate at
tention. Among them is the Miller bill
| providing for the extension of cities and
towns, out of which Birmingham may Sc
cure greater limits if people SO elect,
by coming in and being taxed. all alike.
With this much work yet to do Governor
Conner left the city last night for a
| few days in Birmingham this being the
first trip out of the city since the open
ing of the legislative session. He will be
away until after Sunday, it is expected.
1t is remarkable that there was not
single disagreement between the governor
and the legislature that was not set
tied in the best of good humor by the
adoption of amendments suggested by the
executive in bills that did not meet his
| approval In every case where he asked
! changes in this way the legislature agreed
and not single vote was recorded or
intimated. Though the constitutional pro-
v...on of allowing the governor to make
F., lhood of vetoes less it is regarded as
rather surprising that he did not even
come close to one.
All Was Harmony.
This feature of The tssfn has ,bcla,
| pointed 10 with prfte OH stfe'- part or
| tie friends of the governor, in the light
OF the many charges that he ruled, or
intended to rule with an iron hand, the
work of the legislature and the law
making conduct of the members. There
has never been more harmony at ses-
sion in the history of the state than has
prevailed in 1907 so far. Not one of the
many measures was ever In danger be-
cause OF a failure to adopt by either the
body or the governor, the whole tenor
of the session being one of getting to-
gether on platform bills and keeping to-
gether on promises to the people.
-ost OF the laws promised in the cam
! paiSn were passed, the notable exception
being All anti-lobby measure. In the case
OF this it developed that there was not
overly much In the way of demand after
ALL 1t was also SHOWN that there was
little lobbying of a nature to be deserted,
tie session being freer than any ever
known from the menace of corrupting
| influences Hard as was the fight on the
| part of the insurance men to prevent
raises in taxes. no one dollar could be
secured from the companies to be used
| In arguments before committees.
Other Bills Signed.
Governor b. b. Conner has signed one
| of the bills for the benefit of the water
power rights given by Congress for the
development of the Muscle Shoals proper
| ty. The other is on his desk and will
| be signed as soon as he comes back from
Birmingham, it is expected. These are
| regarded as measures of particular i'm
portance. as they make it possible to go
| along with the work of building a dam
at Florence and getting in the power
machinery 10 be installed there. j. w.
| Worthington of Sheffield is at the head
of company that is to spend several
| millions of dollars there in a dam and
| water powers.
Another important bill signed is the
| ant-bucket shop measure, the effect of
which will be to prohibit dealing in fu-
| lures after the first day of next January.
| This is the Reese bill, and is almost a
| copy Of the South Carolina law recently
! upheld by the supreme court of the
| United States. 1t was supported by the
members of the Alabama Cotton asso-
ciation and is in line with the platform
|
The resolutions providing for recess
| commissions to make up a municipal
| code and to investigate an alleged ferti-
| lizer trust were also signed before the
| governor left the city.
vagrancy Bill a Law.
| The Reynolds vagrancy bill has been
signed and Is now a law. 1t is regarded
as the best thing that could have been
gotten up to meet the Alabama condI-
! tions and the conditions of other southern
! states. where there is a dearth of labor
| and hundreds of idle negroes. The bill has
| the endorsement of the Alabama Sheriffs'
association and would best be called.
thinks Senator Reynolds. who introduced
it. IAN act to supply labor in the state of
/ Alabama"
! This bill makes it the duty of the de-
! fendant In any case of vagrancy to show
4 affirmatvely that he or she has visible
means of support. The old law put the
burden on the state to show that they did
not have such support. The law alsc
makes the penalty hard labor, seeking 10
make every one convicted work.
Other bills that have received the APP
| nroval of the governor are police commis-
/ sion provision made to reach Birming
ham particularly; providing for MAIN
| fenance of the Boys Industrial school at
| East Lake and allowing cities to pay
mavorg as much as $1,000. This last bill
| is also made to help Birmingham.
! Alabama News Notes.
state Game and Fish Commissioner
II Wallace has appointed A. Campbell
Jones game warden for Montgomery
| county. and will select, 1t is now under
stood, John e. Rosenstih for the warden
| shin of Jefferson county. Both men arc
/ well known experts in the matter of game
| and craftsmanship and are expected to
| be effective in the enforcement of the
new laws. Mr.. Wallace Is busy sending
out blanks and literature to the county
| Judges in order that all the wardens may
get the law into effect as early as pos
sible.