The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-05
Governor Conner Will Give His Views at the Commer-
 ciaI Club
THE SMYER AND KING
 MEASURES COMPARED
It is Shown That There is No Conflict in the Bills-Both Provide for Extension of the
 City Limits.

Greater Birmingham will be discuss ed in all of its phases at the Commercial club rooms this morning. when Cover nor Conner will confer with citizens in regard to the various bills which have been passed by the legislature and which are awaiting his signature. Gov ernor Conner has stated that he is op- posed to the greater city and that he can not see where any benefit is to be derived from the measures passed. The Commercial club has invited ev- cry one interested in the subject to at tend the meeting, which will be held at 10 o'clock, and the rooms will tn- doubtedly be packed to overflowing Several have announced the intention of expressing their views, and the ar gument set forth by each side promises | to be lively.
 Representatives of the large corpo rations will also be on hand, and 1t is understood that they will withdraw any objections they may have in case public sentiment appears strongly in favor of the bills.
 The Smyer and King bills have both passed the legislature and are now on the governors desk. Both Mir. Smyer and MT. King will be at the meeting and each will set forth personally the various points of his bill. The endea- vor will be made to have Governor Conner sign both bills, a they do not conflict.
 Do Not Conflict. The passage of both the Smyer bill and the King bill providing for a Greater Birmingham has led some peo- pie who are advocating extension of the city limits to fear that there might be conflict between the two and that the one might destroy the effect of the other, assuming that each bill will be signed by the governor Friends of both measures stated yesterday that such apprehension is groundless and that tn support given both in the leg islature was about the same. Both bills 1t Is said were carefully consid- cred. Both, 1t Is pointed out, would insure a Greater Birmingham and this Is the real end in view.
 Distinctive Features.
 Briefly stated, the distinctive fea- lures of the two arc as follows:
 The King bill, the first to pass, is arbi- trary in it's tendency, and yet 1t can only be made effective by a popular vote. The outlying towns and the city of Birming- ham voting as a unit are to decide the question at the polls. The territory 1t proposes to bring into the city embraces all towns from and including Pratt City to East Lake, except that part of North Birmingham on the north side of Village Creek. This bill makes a uniform tax rate for the entire greater city and al- lows full representation in the municipal government. It exempts nothing from taxation.
 The Smyer Bill.
 The Smyer bill on the other hand acts in no wise arbitrarily. It provides, In the event it Is availed of, that each town or community shall vote separately and thus decide whether or not 1t desires to become part of the greater city It pro- vides exemption of manufacturing plants from taxation and unimproved acreage property from such burden for a term of years. It provides further that any muni- cpal corporation now existing, which has a rate of taxation lower than Birmng- ham, that the vote on such tax shall not be increased. It provides that each town or territory incorporated into the greater city shall be contiguous to Birmingham. 1. e., the lines must be unbroken. It gives full governmental representation to each and every town.
 The generally expressed opinion is that while both bills are workable tho King bill will be the first utilized.
 The Smyer bill makes what is re- garded by It's friends as a wise provision which is omitted by the King bill, and that Is that 1t makes clear the way for enlarging even a Greater Birmingham by extending the lines at any future date so as to embrace more territory and taking in Ensley and even Bessemer, when the people of those cities shall have con- cluded to unite with the great city
 The Smyer bill would operate under contract system, whereas the King bill provides unification with burden of gov ernment falling alike on all.