The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-02

Lusk Opposes More ORces. Senator Lusk was opposed to the creation of any more offices and the payment of any more salaries. It look I ed as though bills were constantly com ing up for the creation of new offices and the payment of new salaries He had no desire to see a flood of foreign immigration coming into Alabama He saw no necessity for the existence of the State Board. He offered an amend ment to confer the immigration work upon the Department of Agriculture, but the amendment was voted down. | A Iorceful address was delivered by senator Spragins in support of the bill. | He called attention to the improvement Tn land values and in industrial prop erty in his section, which had follow ca policy of inducing immigration to the tennessee Valley. He described the demand for labor in the State, a demand that was as insistent on the | Iarms as 1t was in mining and mineral | districts of the State. The time was in sight when the old plantation would be a thing of the past. The handwrit- Ing was now on the wall for tho old l system of farming on shares between the white owner and the negro ten- | ant.
 Senator Leith knew something about the foreign immigrants that were | ne did not want any more. They might have been brought in to labor in the mines and on the public works, but | peanut stands were starting up all over the district. Foreign immigration with It's flood of new corners meant cheap labor, and he was opposed to cheap | labor.
 They've got a pretty good board | provided for in the bill," said Senator Leith. The Governor Is at the head of 1t, and the Governor is good man. But he is only man, after all. This board might make mistakes" Railroads Need Labor. The question of immigration had a | bearing on the railroad question, ar- gued Senator Reid of Covington Coun- ty. He had been informed by railroad men, and he believed 1t, that although the railroads were paying higher wages than ever before, they were unable to secure enough men to make their track laying gangs complete. He believed that much of the dissatisfaction on &C., count of poor car service was due at least in part to the lack of labor. Mr. Reid argued that conditions had chang ed in Alabama and the time had come when Alabama should reach out to se- cure white settlers to take up some of the lands of the State that were going to waste. He was strongly in favor of the bill.
 Senator Moody argued strongly against the passage of the bill In doing so. he was convinced that he represented, the farmers of tffe State. The farmers of his county of Tusca- loosa had gone on record against the question of indiscriminate immigration. A protest against this immigration had been filed by the Farmers Alliance of his county. He opposed the bill be- ' k.rgsf f.rff ffasfa l h knI people of Alabama who were already here, as opposed to those who desired to come in, or whom were to be brought in.
 The lawyers, the doctors. every pro- fession, had organizations for self-pro- lection. and he was of the opinion the farmers of Alabama should be given the same opportunity of self-protec- ton as other professions.
 The question seemed to be a sectional question in the opinion of Senator Hor- ton.
 Pleads for His county.
 "The opposition to this measure seems to be sectional. so far as can observe" he said 'The white coun- ties of the State do not appear to be much in favor of immigration, while the Black Belt counties are endorsing the measure I would say to the Sena- tor from Marshall that he does not have to take the immigrants if he does not want them If Marshall County does not want It's share, 1t can turn them over to Greene I am not sur prised that the Senator from Tusca- loosa does not care for immigration or for additional labor. The labor from my County and the counties which join 1t. have gone to Birming ham and the mineral districts of Tus- ca1oosa. We of the counties that need the immigration, ask those who are opposed to it to let 1t apply only to our counties If they choose. They are not compelled to take it.
 The bill was then passed with only seven Senators voting against 1t. The Senators who voted against the meas ure were Messrs, Blackmon, Forester. Hammer Lusk. Moody. Strother and Barbour
 The morning session was enlivened with recurrence of the contest be- tween the minority and the majority. It grew out of resolution offered by Senator Lusk that in the future only the amendments to bill which were adopted should be spread upon the journal of the Senate. The resolution was Immediately opposed by Senator Rlackmon. The Calhoun Senator con- tended the resolution was unfair, and that If would be a handicap to the Su- preme Court In construing laws passed bv the Legislature. In passing upon the laws the court would search for the intent of the Legislature, and the amendments though they might be re- tected by the Senate, would form basis for an opinion by the court of the intention of the Legislature.
 The resolution of Senator Lusk went to the Rules Committee for later re- port
 Hot Fight Over EtOwah Bill.
 Tn the afternoon session of the Sen ate. concurred the liveliest local fight with which the Senate has had to do. If came out of Etowah County. The fight was on the inevitable whiskey ouestion, A bill had been passed by the House providing that all of Etowah County outside the cities of Gadsden and Attalla, should be prohibition dis trict In the Senate the bill was amended by Senator Hammer to pro- vide that the people should vote upon the question before the bill became eff fective, The House refused to accept the amendment because Representa- tives Lee and Smith of Etowah, were united fin support of the original bill, that the County outside of the two cities should be prohibition territory.
 A conference committee was appoint ed on which Senators Hammer, Doster and Lusk served on the part of the Senate The committee reported recommendation that the Senate should recede from it's amendment. This re- port was signed by every member of the conference committee, with the eX- ception of Senator Hammer.
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