The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-17
COLLECTORS ARE ALARMED Scared of Consolidating
 Offices. THOMPSON MAY LOSE PLACE Internal Revenue Men Are Now
 Working. Prohibition Measures are Reducing In- come of Government and Com sress win Have to Pre-
 vide for Deficiency. 
RY ALFRED ,. STOPPER.

Washington, Nov. 16.--(Special. )--A half dozen or more Collectors of In- shoes. lest they lose their Government jobs
 When Commissioner Capers first pro- posed to consolidate several of the Southern districts on account of the prohibition wave that is sweeping over that section of the country, few people thought the proposition would be car- ried out. Even Mir. Capers himself was not certain that the President and Sec retary of the Treasury would take kindly to the suggestion. But there is strong feeling here now that hav- ing made a start in the consolidation of two of the Tennessee districts 1t would be well to carry the thing fur ther. and the talk has been strong that the Alabama district would ba conn binad with that of Florida. If that is done. of course, 1t would mean the brushing aside of Referee Joseph o. Thompson of Alabama. for the coiiec- tons in the Alabama district in year amount in round number to only about 8450.000. whereas they are $1,200.000 in the FIorida district.
 By all that is right and sensible the administration would have to keep the collector in Florida. and few people here and elsewhere believe that Thonp- son would accept subordinate posi- tion under the collector like those that have been t9ndered to Collectors But isr and coldwell. the friends of Con- gressmau Brownlow. since announce ment was made of the consolidation or the Tennessee districts and the ape pointment of John sharp, the favored Republican of the Sanders -Evans- Haie combination.
 scott wfaa Fisht 1t.
 Tho gossip in Washington Is to the effect Shar National Committeeman Charles H. Scott of Alabama will fight pretty hard to stave off any action by which his friend and follow referee, Collector Thompson. might be discon. nected with his Federal position and devote himself to the cultivation of that biz tract of cotton lands he is said to have recently purchased from Cover nor Conner.
 As Oklahoma is now in the Union of States the entire tribe of Republican DoIitlciaas who were recently here from that country bent every effort to in- duce the powers that be to make a separate internal revenue district of Oklahoma. And this. too. yn the face of the fact that Congress in the enabling act placed in it Q strict pronipition reg- uiafion which was voted upon at the late election and adopted by . rousing majority.
 Prohibition in Oklahoma is also dif- ferent from that in other States by rea- son of the fact that if has got to be observed for a long term of years. It cannot be brushed aside at another election in a few years. as was done in Iowa and Kansas
 When this prohibition agitation first commenced the brewers of the United States sent q large and prominent del- sgation to Washington to discuss the matter with President Roosevelt and members of his cabinet. They then st Dutiy sntsnded that beer was tefa- perancs drink. and instead of it's be- Ing prohibited in the proposed new State it ought to be encouraged in the