The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-28
CAMP PA|GN WILL
 BE PITCHED TODAY.
Candidatesfor Congress Speak.
 At China GrOve
TAX VALUES CONSIDERED
Birmingham Corporation Appears Be- fore State Tax Commission-Ne- gro Teachers Fall Through
 Fraudulent Methods.

Montgomery, July 27.-(Special )-Ths aspirants for Congress in the Second dis | trict will gather tomorrow at China Grove, in Pike county, to make speeches for the edfcation of the people and the political preferment of themselves. The l occasion will be an old time country picnic and barbecue and the entire coun- tryside is expected to turn out for the fes- tvities. It Is the pitching of the cam paign for a successor to the late A. A. Wiley, for some time congressman from the Second district.
 The speakers will be the following, all seeking the nomination, which must be made at a general primary on Septem- Der F, next; s. H. Dent, Thomas j.. Hall, Montgomery; William Hodge Sam ford, Troy; Charles R. Bricken, Luverne. Along with them went many good friends so that the day has been one of old time country fellowship and good will. From now on the fight will be spread to the nine counties, and every fellow is going out for his own and all the rest of the counties.
 Jesse Stallings, aforetime congressman from the district and of late a resident of Birmingham has come into the field in the interest of J. Lee Long for the place. Long comes from Greenville, where he Is a successful business man and friend of Governor Conner and intimates that he is not to be counted out. Any plan that leaves me out is not safe one. said MT. Long.
 Conner Yet Solid.
 Among the visitors to the city early in the week was Henry B. Steagall, solici- tor of the circuit just below here and former member of the legislature. He said that the impression that Governor Conner was losing out in the state had better be taken with a degree of salt T am not in politics just now said Mr Steagall, ,"but hear the people talk and the country districts are with him in this effort to control the railroad cor porations. Just as sure as you are born they will stand by and see it through. give you this as my idea and for what it is worth, but if you doubt it go to the country
 MT. Steagal, who, it will be recalled lost his wife tragically a few weeks ago, was on his way to Union Springs, after having sent his four little children to Tuskegee to their grandmother. He said that the people of the country districts are very happy over the crop outlook Fixing Values. The tax commission spent Monday in hearing the cases of the following cor porations for assessment on tangible franchises and holdings: Birmingham Railway Light and Power company Bir- mingham Waterworks company, Birming- ham Terminal company and the Mont gomery Traction company Neither of the assessments was fixed, that going over to an examination of the figures presented.
 The companies were represented by the following: Birmingham Railway Light and Power company, A. H. Ford, pres- ident Robert Jemison, former president; i; W. P. G. Harding, director Lee c. Brad ley, Hugh Morrow and John P. Tillman, attorneys; Waterworks company, A. M. Lynn, D. J. OConnell, vice president and manager, respectively; Terminal com pany, J. M Waite. president James Weatherly; Traction company Ray Rush. ton.
 Negro Teachers Fall. It Is shown by the records in the of- flee of the department of education that the attempts at fraud on the part of negro teachers in securing the examina- hafo hard on those who would have thus been benefited. Of the 120 negroes who tried for certificates In Montgomery country, 100 failed, mostly for fraud. In Jefferson county 130 failed out of 166, largely for the same reason, and in Greene 12 out of 16.
 The officers of the department have made up their minds that the practice of stealing questions must stop and the gull ty ones punished The present effort, growing out of which about 300 negroes were arrested is going to be fought out until the ones who are guilty are found out and sent to terms of imprisonment. No matter how much trouble is taken to make the standard of teachers high, some such rascality as this is ever now and then cropping out.
 Ball and Chain Stays. The Montgomery county grand jury was greatly shocked at the ball and chain ornaments on the front of the jail, and suggested that they be removed and sub stituted wiht flowers. Not so, says the board of revenue. The ornaments are highly appropriate and look good, so they will not be moved, or words to that eff feet.
 It was held by the grand jury that the two huge balls with chains about them were grewsome and entirely too sugges- tive The members thought they ought to be moved off. They so reported in a document sent Judge William H. Thomas at the close of the session. However, the board of revenue which met Monday, re- affirmed fealty to their own output and ordained that they stay right there, and it looks like they will.
 Money for State.
 Tax collectors have made settlements with the auditor and turned in money to the state as follows: Thomas A. Little page, Choctaw, s19,513; Will Cain, De- Kalb, $2S,125; R. P Caine, Fayette, $1S,- AT.
 Increased Capital.
 The Gulf Terminal company at Mobile has increased its capital from s5OOO to $50,000