The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-09
ARE BIRMINGHAM
SALOONS IN DANGER
Passage of Local Option Bill
Seems Assured
AID FOR BOARDING HOUSES
Proposed Measure VIII Allow Proprie-
tors to Take Lien On Salary and
chattels of Boarders
for Pay.
AID FOR BOARDING HOUSES

Is the Jefferson county saloon in dan
ger?
1t is believed that the local option bill
will become the law OF the land. If it
does, then twenty-five per cent of the
voters can petition the probate Judge TO
call an election, and the probate judge
will have to obey. Then the people will
decide whether or not liquor shall be
sold in Birmingham and Jefferson county.
This question is a specially live one in
Birmingham just now. The probability
of the local option bill passing seems
great, and has caused the saloon proprie-
tors in Birmingham to become seriously
alarmed. Several well known saloon pro-
prietors asked The Age-Herald for infor-
nation yesterday, revealing thereby their
interest. City Attorney Smith, who has
recently returned from Montgomery, be-
lleves that the bill will become a law.
Millers Position Discussed.
Probably Birmingham is effected by
more local bills in the present legislature
than any other city in the state. The
pending Greater Birmingham" bill is
receiving marked attention, and its jour
ney to passage" is anxiously watched.
The rumor that the bill would meet
the opposition of Senator Miller of JEFF
ferson is dscredited An effort to learn
positively the position of the Jefferson
senator failed, but close friends declare
their belief that he will not oppose it's
passage When the rumor was circulated
yesterday morning, there was serious
alarm on the part of the bills friends in
Birmingham, for it was realized that the
opposition of Jefferson's senator would
probably mean its defeat.
City Attorney Smith left the municipal
ownership bill in first rate condition. 1t
has been favorably reported to the house,
and its subsequent passage is looked upon
as a mStter of certainty. Mr.. Smith did
not simultaneously report the bill to the
senate and the lower house.
Boarding Houses Helped.
The report on the local bill to abolish
the police commission and put the police
department under the wing of the City
Council has not as yet been made. Mr..
Smith believes that this bill will eventu-
ally go through without many scars. Lit
tie as yet IS known concerning the other
bill affecting the police department, pro-
viding for the Inauguration of the civil
service regulation.
Judge w. d. Watts and Roy McCul-
Tough, representing the Retail Grocers]
association and the Board of Trade, re-
spectively, returned from Montgomery
yesterday, where they went in the inter-
est of several bills affecting local busl-
ness interests. One of the most interest
ing is that allowing the proprietors of
boarding houses to take lien on the
goods and chattles of dodgers. The bill
provides too that the salary or wages of
said dodgers may also be subjected to the
lien of the boarding house proprietor.
This bill will be introduced within the
next few days by Representative Urquart.
Judge Watts states that every legislator
interviewed on the subject expressed his
approval of it.