The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-02
Strong Opposition to|
 Foreign Element.
DETERMINED RESISTANCE
 IS MADE TO THE BILL
'Teasley Amendment is Accepted
 After Warm Struggle.
Lessons Tax of Corporations LoaninE Money in state--Upper Branch De- sert. Hammer in Etowah Coun-
 ty Contest.

The tax on foreign money lending corporations bill and the inn migration bill endorsed by Governor Conner. were yesterday passed by the Senate. The Senate talked for three hours over the immigration bill and threshed out the question in all of its various forms. The corporation tax bill came up at night. when the Senators were tired. and it was passed without gen eraI discussion.
 Only one fight was made. and that was successfully made by Senator Teasley a member of the minority. He attacked the provision taxing foreign corporations doing business in Alabama He submitted an amendment to take the place of this particular section as if was passed by the House. The Teas ley amendment provided that foreign loan companies doing business In Ala bama should not be taxed more than one-fiftieth of one per cent of the money loaned out.
 The amendment was earnestly op- posed by Senator Reynolds. He argued that the provisions would only apply to one company, which was doing a million dollar business in the State; that Is, It was lending out a million dollars. He made the point that if that company had the million dollars invested in lands in the state. it would be charged a tax of $15.ooo, while under the pre- visions of the bill. 1t would be requirf ed to pay tax of only ss,7o0.
 People Would Pay the High Tax.
 In reply, Senator Teasley declared A1abama was the only State of the south which was charging such tax. The subject was one with which he was familiar, and he made an able al = xuunent in support of the amendment. Be pointed out to the Senators that the hirh tax proposed in the bill would be maid by the people who had to borrow money in the State.
 The Teasley amendment was adopted by an overwhelming vote, and the plll was passed without further attacks .,. fThe immigration bill, endorsed by the 6Sovernor, and accepted by the leaders in the movement for immigration pe- cause they could get nothing else, was passed by the Senate yesterday by vote of 20 to T.
 While the bill was finally passed by wide margin, 1t encountered strong oratorical opposition on the part of the Senators who took a conservative view of the question of immigration. But the majority held that times change and new conditions had arrived in Ala bama The majority stood for the noIicv of State help for immigration, that Alabama might take its place with more progressive States of the union. The acute labor question, with us bearing upon the industries and pros perity of the State ran through three hours discussion of the bill.
 Senator Spragins sounded a note of warning to the owners of the big Black Belt plantations:
 ,'The handwriting is on the wall for the big planters. Times have changed, and the system of working negroes on half shares is doomed in Alabama"
 Senator Horton. who comes from section of the State which has been drained of its labor by the demands of the mineral district, made an impress sive plea in favor of the bill. The lack of labor and of white farmers in the rural districts is perhaps felt more keenly in the Black Belt counties of Hale, Greene and Perry, than anywhere
 Plantations Are Deserted.
 You can ride from the town in which live for distance of fifteen miles and find only one white family living in that distance, and you will mass fine old time homes, absolutely deserted" said Senator Horton. "In my beat, we had sixty-five white vot- CTS a few years ago. Now we have only twenty-five white voters Tn my coun- trv farmer Is fiRurehead. He is at tell him what they want him to do, and he must do 1t if he keeps his la- bor.
 Senator Moody took strong position against the measure. He was against 1t. because the farmers were against it. He thought 1t the duty of the Sem ate to care for the man who was all ready here, rather than to spend his money in the effort to get somebody here to go into competition with him. As an argument in favor of conser- vative position on the question of im- migration. Senator Moody drew the at tentton of the Senate to the great ad- vance made in truck farming in his and adjoining counties
 The bill was explained at length by Senator Gum. who introduced a similar biu in the Senate and secured favor able report on 1t from the Senate Com rnittee on Finance and Taxation. The hill provided for a State Immigration Roard of which the Governor was to be the head The other two members were to be the Commissioner of Agriculture and A Secretary. to be named by the Governor. The Secretary is to receive A salary of $40 year.
 The Board Is to have authority to sunervise all immigration coming Into the state. It is authorized to require help from corporations or persons who desire to secure immigrant labors.
 Mir. Gum at some length. explained tbs provisions of the bill. and argued their wisdom. He had some personal knowledge of private efforts to bring low class immigrants into Alabama Italians and Greeks had been brought into South Alabama and after a