The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-02
Makes Personal Effort in In
terest Of Tax COmmis-
sion Measure
IMMIGRATION BILL IS
PASSED BY THE SENATs
New Associate Judeeship for JsS r
son Circuit Court Is Provided
Police Commission Bill
Passes Senate.
BY c. M. STANLEY.

BY C. M. STANLEY.
Montgomery, March Especial )-The
busiest man in Alabama last night and
today has been Gov. b. b. Conner. The
governor was not slow to see that pow
erful influences were making fight on
his tax commission bill, one of the meas
ures dearest to his heart
1t passed the house yesterday, but the
governor learned that somebody was get
ting busy with the senate. For the first
time IL: many days he was down in the
hotel corridors last night comforting
earnestly with this and that man. This
morning he stood in f>ont of the capitol
bareheaded and shook lrands with every
legislator that approached the building.
He was getting every man into line.
The bill was before the senate commit
tee To-Day and favorably reported 1t will
come up in the senate tomorrow and
there is no doubt of its passage.
The Immigration bill is about to be-
come law. The senate passed it today,
but tagged on an amendment excluding
Spaniards and Italians from it's operation.
This will probably be concurred in by
the house.
The new judgeship for the circuit court
of Jefferson county was provided fer TO-
daseaud the >alsiy Is $3.50. the fame rs
the other judgeshps of Jefferson. Jeffer-
son county will soon have eight judges
drawing $500 each. A. Q. Lane will prob
ably be appointed by the governor to-
morrow.
Mayor Ward won a victory in the sem
ate today by having his police commission
bill passed by that body. 1t will come up
in the house tomorrow. 1t is understood
Lovelady has Joined Urquhart and Glover
in opposition to 1t, Urquhart says he
wants an amendment leaving it to be
voted on by the people of Birmingham
at the May election. If the people want,
he says, he thinks they should have an
opportunity to say so.
Greater Birmingham under the Smyer
bill is a dead cock in the pit until July,
at least. The senate committee had 1t
up this afternoon and voted to let the
Whole matter go over until after recess.
The editors of state, many of whom are
Ntl in the city after the meeting of the
Alabama Press association yesterday, are
greatly worked up over the discovery that
law has already been passed by the
legislature regulating the issuance of rail
road passes.
1t seems that its provisions are just
becoming known and certain editors who
are members of the legislature said at
the meeting yesterday that they did not
know the pass regulation provision was
in the bill. The provision makes it obli-
gatory on every railroad in the state to
furnish the railroad commission, on the
first of September of each year or as
often as the commission may direct, a list
of the passes, mileage or other trans
portation furnished for "other than
money consideration" This report must
set out the names of persons to whom
the transportation was issued, speci-
men of such transportation. the reason
it was issued and the consideration for
which it was issued.
1t Is understood that none OF the edi-
tors knew anything about this until one
of them received notice from a railroad
not to use transportation issued to him
since the law went into effect. which was
Immediately upon its approval, Febru-
airy 23
Its provisions do not apply to trans
portation issued before that time.
An excellent example of the love of
the house for pyrotechnics was given
when the tax commission measure was
I'm. Everybody wanted to debate. 1t
Sncn n R1Hiu DppoIihbi'E " N'pii'-
MON ..the people and hurl invectiye at
the big corporations who are growing
fat and not paying the proportion OF
the taxes that the value of their proper
ties should make them pay
or course nothing was SAID about the
Increase that this commission will make
in such counties as Lawre lse, where the
tax assessment Is now less than 81 The
debaters emphasized the fact that they
were after the big fish" IF we eaten
some small ones while getting the Dig
ones 1t will be mere incident OF the
object we have in view, SAID one
sneaker. And everybody wanted to speak
They discussed the measure all morning
and the session ran on until o'clock.
All that time there was a wondertul
flow of oratory championinS the pe"-
pie" After speaking all this time IL was
with the greatest difficulty that tne de-
bate was closed so a vote could be
taken.
Things are different over in the sem
ate The senators are just as eager as
the house to enact measures for the
benefit of 1.-THE people" but they do not
believe in talking about it so much. The
result is they dispatch business much
more rapidly.
Tho house passed the bin this morning
prohibiting the removal by foreign cor
norations to federal courts of cases from
the county courts. the measure now
qoes to the Governor. II is important
To birmingham because of the large num-
her of foreign corporations doing business
there. The bill was passed on the plea
that foreign corporations should be
placed on the same basis as local COR
porations.
The house set down on Colonel Johns
amendment to the general paving bill
this morning. Whenever paving WAS to
ne done he wanted every property owner
notified insIividually before work could
proeeed He thought newspaper adyer-