The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-15
NEW COUNTY FIGHT WILL BE AIRED AT
 BIG FAIR GROUNDS Today Is New County Day And Saturday Will Be Jeff
 ferson County Day
PROMINENT MEN WILL
 SPEAK ON QUESTION
Subject Is Arousine Great Interest and Opinions Are Being Freely Ex- pressed for and Against
 Amendment.

The combatants in the new county struggle )lave decided to get their discussion before the messengers or the people throughout the state who are attending the great Alabama State Fair Today is New County day and Saturday will be Jefferson County day.
 The advocates of the new county will hold their speaking at II o'clock this morning in front of the grand stand at which time every argument in favor of the Ragsdale amendment will be fully aired.
 Saturday has been denominated Jef- ferson day for the benefit of those who are opposed to splitting up tha county. At this time Frank s. Moody, state senator; Walker Percy, and w. D. Nesbitt, railroad commissioner, will make the addresses. ". H. kett1g VIII preside and introduce the speakers,
 The anti-new county campaign com mittee held a meeting yesterday after noon in the Commercial Club rooms and completed organization. MT. Ket- tig was made permanent chairman and the committee decided unanimous ly to make a concerted fight in every county from now until the election.
 A finance committee was appointed with Walker Percy as chairman. Ar rangements were made for the speak ing Saturday and it was decided to hold another committee meeting Sat urday at 10.30 o'clock in the Conner of pOnfArr- ing with representatives of Shelby, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties who have asked to be heard. It is under stood that a large delegation of op- ponents to the new measure will come from these counties and join the club in it's fight to prevent it's carrying before the people.
 Opinions Freely Expressed.
 The contest is now drawing the lines. Men are coming out strongly on each side and opinions are ex- pressed freely Col. Sam Will John has agreed to address the state fair visitors today. He is one of the ies- islators who passed the submission bill and he is heartily, in favor of the new county. He says that he knows 1t will do Birmingham no injury, but will build up Bessemer, cut down the NoAA~NN erabfe extent, make better roads and do away with the spirit of jealousy which exists between the two cities
 CuIpepper Exum, who made arrange ments for the Jefferson day at the state fair, returned to Birmingham from the north upon hearing of the danger to Birmingham interests which had been discovered in the Rags dale amendment He says that it is time to get busy. and put stop to the efforts of the county splitters. Tt is never too late to fight, and 1t will not take much argument to convince Alabama that it is to her interest to turn this proposition down."
 Leaves Too Many Loopholes.
 J. s. Moore said:
 T fear the general effect of the new county amendment is not generally un- derstood. It is not limited to the forma- ton of Bessemer county, as some seem to believe. Under It's terms new coun- ty contest will spring up in every part or the state where there is enough terri tory to make three counties out of two, or four counties out of three, or five counties out of four. The Bessemer propo- stion is to make six counties out of five. If the amendment is adopted men who want county offices and can't get them in
 
 for a new county wherever 500 square miles can be found that will not reduce the counties from which 1t Is taken below that area. The excess above 600 square miles can be taken from a county and the people outside of the seceeding terri tory have no voice in the matter. They can only stand by and see their neighbors depart, taking bodily the taxable prop erty that had been helping bear the coun- ty burdens.
 ''There is no restriction in the amend ment on the form of new counties. The amendment as proposed would authorize the formation of horse shoe' counties or ''shoe string counties, cutting off a strip here and strip there. Under the proposed amendment Bessemer coun- ty could run down one side of the Ala bama Great Southern right-of-way to a point seven miles from Tuscaloosa, then cross the railroad and run back up the other side of the right-of-way, thus talk ing about SS miles of railroad for tax ation and not single voter to oppose it except, possibly a few section fore men who live on the right-of-way. Tus- caloosa county would be powerless to prevent it. Similar conditions prevail in various parts of the state.
 There is nothing in the proposed |.