The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-29
WARM FIGHT ON
 FOR O|L INSPECTOR Friends of Professor Henry Are
 Growing Active HAWKINS NOW HAS PLACE Contest Has Aroused Considerable Dis cussion as to Income of County
 Oil Inspector - Board of
 Revenue Elects Officer.
HAWKINS NOW HAS PLACE

will the new Board of Revenue reap ponit James F. SllSins as oil inspector for Jefferson county or wiflf'>tAe efforts now being made by the friends N9f NJ. V. Henry be successful fin securing snS place for him? This Is the question that Is going the rounds of the court house and which has been the cause of all sorts of rumors as to the pay of this particular office
 Probably nobody knows just what the office pays but MT. Hawkins, who is also chief deputy clerk of the criminal court, and possible his assistant, Paul Greene. Tn fact when questioned as to the amount he derived from 1t, Jimmie Hawkins declined to state what it was and ex- pressed a desire to see the man who did know except himself.
 A rumor has been going around the court house that the office paid in the neighborhood of s5OOo per year, but MT. Hawkins was willing to state that the amount was nothing like s5O0O.
 It is not believed that the receipts of the office will amount to more than S20O per month if that much. The duties uf the oil inspector do not include the in- specting of all oils, but only that which is used by miners in their lamps. known miners oil.
 Jefferson county is one of the few counties in the state in which specified tions are set forth for the kind of oil used in miners lanterns. This act is d special one passed by the legislature and provides that all miners oil must be on a basis of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and "A degrees Tagliabue, or as known in the oil business, "A gravity The specii- cations set forth that 1t must either be made from an animal or vegetable oil and be as free from smoke possible.
 The inspection is simple. A sample If the oil is placed in a glass 1.5 inches in diameter and inches high. A hydrometer is placed in the oil and if 1t registers at 21 or above the oil is all right, but if it registers below "A it is rejected
 There are but three or four concerns in Birmingham manufacturing miners oil, the main ingredient used by them being cotton seed oil this being mixed sWllH d nculIdi oii.
 The manufacturers of the oil are 1he people from whom the inspector derives his salary, his fees being named in the act. Where he inspects a tank contain ing 5000 gallons the manufacturer pays nim & of a cent per gallon, and tank less than this quantity l cent. The pay for inspecting oil in barrels is cents. 4 barrel of miners oil will average about 50 gallons. It brings a fancy price but a barrel of it goes a long way when it comes to filling miners lamps
 It is the duty of the inspector to see that no miners oil not in accordance with the specifications Is either sold used in Jefferson county The penalty for selling under specification is fixed at S509 and for using it at $20o, with a Jail sen tence- attached.
 A very strenuous fight is being put up by MT. Henry's adherents, the position teng appointive by the Board of Reve- nue. MT. Henry was one of the numer- ous candidates for Board of Revenue at the recent primary, and failed to se- cure fifth place by four votes MT. flaw kins also has strong backing, and the contest will be a warm one.
 An evidence of the interest in it is shown by the fact that Mir Hawkins term will not be up until next March, and little else is talked about the court house The term of the office is four wears.