The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-16
STATE FINANCES
 ARE RATHER MIXED Railroad Discrimination Fight Cases Up Wednesday THE COURTHOUSE FIGHT Controversy In Lamar County Has Not Yet Been Decided-soldiers Home
 Board of Control Will
 Hold Meeting.
THE COURTHOUSE FIGHT

Montgomery. October 15-(Special.)- The revenue outlook of the state is rather mixed for the coming year. or rather for the year now on, for the reason that marked changes have been made in the outgo as well as the income, and it will take some days to get at just what may be expected in the way Of income The liquor fees will have been cut off after January 1, amounting to over S60,000, and the new tax on foreign corporations is tied up in the courts to the extent of S15o,OO0 or so. and will have to await the decision of the supreme court likely. The depression of last year came about the time new assessments were being made and it was hard to keep the figures set by the tax commission the season before, much less make increases. The | intangible franchises were allowed to drop down from the year before, but this will be made up by the increases in tangibles l on the interested corporations in the coun- | ties. The depression was quite hard on the industrial district, but seems to have hurt even more in the country. as Jeffer- son county went up about $16.000,0O0. If the old soldiers were to be paid now and the schools should demand, or could | demand, payment at one time of the whole amount due, there would not be enough money to pay them. But as for every dollar going out as a rule there is another coming in for taxes, it is not regarded that any money will have to be | borrowed for many months, if at all. Until the Improvements now going on at the state institutions are complete there will be heavy drafts outside the ordi- nary run, which will be causes for run ming short, but they will all be promptly met The university and Auburn will probably use at least s1000O0 each this year. which will be in addition to in creases for education on account of the | high schools.
 It is expected that when he returns to Montgomery next week Governor Conner will have statement of the situation of the treasury. He said while here that 1 the money was for the use of the people and much better in service when being used for them than lying in the vaults. He thought the appropriations made were every one good and would hold their own in the favor of the people, and he had nothing but compliments for the legisla- ture in making them.
 Freight Fight On.
 The case of the Montgomery Freight Bureau vs. the Louisville and Nashville | and a number of other transportation lines, will be called before the interstate commerce commission in Washington next Wednesday. Attorneys W. A Gun ter and Horace Stringfellow and Man ager H. S. Kealhofer of the Freight Blu reau, will present the local end of the | litigation. This case was argued at a special sitting of the commerce commits sion in Montgomery several weeks ago, and the Washington hearing is oral and will be the last before a decision is reached.
 In this contention 1t is asserted that 1 the railroads discriminate against Mont { gomery and in favor of Mobile and Pen sacola on freight charges from Ohio river territories. The situation is said to have been additionally aggravated by the re- cent increase in rates from that section of the country, which added more to the deferential against Montgomery than ex- isted prior to the bringing of these suits
 W. F. Vandiver, president of the Freight Bureau, who has been east for most of the summer will join the other gentlemen in Washington for the hear ing.
 Presbytcry Meeting.
 The East Alabama presbytery voted to hold it's next meeting at Dothan The reports indicated a special effort on the l part of all the members for the com mission board during the last year. The women have raised something like S5OO1 on the s50000 debt of the foreign board and the work in China has received spe- cial attention from the Alabama churches 1 Surprise was show, in the fact that the East Alabama presbytery fell off last year about per cent in membership and ! importance. The North Alabama pres bytery fell off per cent. Mobile gained 50 per cent and Tuscaloosa also showed decided betterment. Sixteen out of 52 churches in the East Alabama presby- | tery contributed nothing to the cause of | missions. There are 546 mission study classes for men. women and children in | the Southern Presbyterian church.
 Lamar Court House.
 The courthouse controversy in Lamar county has not yet been settled although State Examiner John Purifoy has been 1 several weeks Investigating the rights of signers to petitions 10 vote. Sulllgent is making valent fight, however, to move { the county seat from Vernon where 1t 1 has been for years
 Judge Purifoy makes the statement that he has found the names of scores of men who thought they had a right to vote. but have not such right because of failure | to pay some of the poll tax since the drafting of the new constitution In his, l opinion, future years will see d cloud upon the right to vote of d great many citi- ] zens as result of poll tax provision and 1 believes that something ought to be done l to offset this unfortunate possibility
 Board of Control. Governor Conner has called a meeting l of the board of control of the old soldiers 1 home at Mountain Creek to be held at the home al F o'clock next Thursday great many important matters are pend- Ing and 1t is anticipated that d number of Improvements and betterments will be discussed at this time. The personnel of l the board ir as follows:
 c. l.. Rrth of Montgomery Capt w C. Ward Of Birmingham, A. r. Glover of Forkand, Col F. M Washburn of Mont gomery, Dr. II. w. Caffee of Verbena, L.. b. Stone of Farrell Col. N. A. HendIev Of Roanoke Gen. J. E. Stanley of Green vile. 5. T. Frazier of Gpion Springs Col Sam Blackwell of Decatur J M Simpson is commandant Of the home.
 Youth Pardoned.