The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-24

man of the municipal code committee and S. W. John of Birmingham. over the municipal code bill. Mir. Gunter was quite severe on the elder statesman for a recent interview in The Age-Herald in which the Jefferson man discounted the act.
 MT. John wanted the bill read section by section. He did not care to aeeept the bili on faith.
 MT Smith of Fillmore reminded Mir. John that the code had been accepted that way MT. John was chairman of the code committee.
 MT. Johns motion was lost.
 MT. John moved to amend so that all aldermen are tp be elected by voters of their own wards and that an additional alderman be allowed for every 4000 cit izens after passing 50,000.
 MT. Healey spoke for the John amend ments. Both were adopted.
 N.r. Maner objected to that section which provides for merchants giving in amounts of sales for fixing of licenses MT. Gunter said that this section was copied from the Birmingham charter Dr. Lovelady was fearful of the section The amendment was lost.
 Amendments by MT. Rnston to make it possible for town to pay it's mayor as little as $50; also to eliminate the re. light control section.
 Red Light Bill.
 NIT. John was very plain in his discus sion of that section which applied to the red light districts. He was very severe on that feature which applied to inspec- tions. To set aside red light district Is an everything of all decency and pub lie morals. He had been told that be- fore the establishment of the district in Birmingham certain men bought the
 
 place in order to profit by the values of the property; also that in each house a retail bar is kept He hoped there would not be vote against the pas sage of the bill. Birmingham Is against tho section and the Christian people of ths state oppose It.
 Gunter Willing.
 MT. Gunter was willing to see this fea- ture stricken out, though personally he was not convinced that was not a good law. The amendments by MT. Rush. ton passed, including the elimination of the red light proposition.
 An amendment that mayors shall try all police cases in towns of 5000 or less, was p5 ssed Also providing for a seo- tion repeating laws in conflict.
 Ir. John wanted delinquent tax e. turns made to the probate judge in- stead of the chancellor.
 Mir Cunter said this was an amendment to destroy the efficiency of the bill. He said that the court of chancery Is one of general jurisdiction and its decrees are bidding. The amendment was tabled. Mir. John wanted a section providing against any employe of public utility corporation serving a city in legislative or executive capacity The amendment was adopted and the bill passed.
 Code Bills Pass.
 The bill providing for the adoption of the new code was taken up in the senate in the afternoon.
 Mir Spragins had heard that there were some radical changes In the child labor law.
 MT. Lusk said he did not recall particu- lar changes. This would be impossible in the multitude of acts put into the book. MT Spraglns said tha. new matter was put Into this section.
 MT. Lusk said that he thought 1t was with regard to hours. He also renewed amendments of one kind or another of more or less importance.
 Amendments were offered by MT. Sprag- ins to make the assessments of property in the state 60 per cent, to reduce the tax rate to six mills; to restore the old em- ployers' liability act. All were voted down.
 The bill was then passed with the com panion bills and go to the governor for signature.
 The senate passed the bill to amend the act creating the city court at Bessemer.