The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-25
COST OF THE EXTRA SESSION Conservative Estimate Is
 S250,000. LEGISLATURE HEARS FIGURES Prohibition Fees Make Biggest
 Item. Some Money wsn Be Paid By County Treasuries, But The State
 wn Pay at Least
 s1so,Ooo.

Conservative estimates of the actual cost to the people of Alabama as the direct consequence of the extra session now place the sum at $250,000. The figures when presented to members of the Legislature were appalling to even the most vigilant. but when the nufner- ous items were read to them the facts were gradually realized.
 Some of the estimated cost of the extra session is to be paid out of the county treasuries, but hardly. less than $180.000 is to be taken from the State Treasury. which, the Governor admit ted, would show a deficit without this drain. before the end of the year.
 Nor does this computation take &C., count of the increase ih officers fees incident to the operation of the many prohibition bills that are now the law of the State. As one member of the House pointed out yesterday, 1t must be remembered that much of the new fees of offers are to be pafd out or the county treasuries.
 For instance" said one of the ob- servant members of the House. under the Ballard bill, as I understood 1t, the sheriff must make an examination of all places to which has been issued a United States liquor license. The sheriff gets good fee for each. ex- animation whether liquors are found 
 Then In addition to this comes the most surprising outlet Tor the county treasuries that could De devised. dare say that half the legislators did not know that under the provisions of the bill. on the. afiidavit of ten citi gems that certain places are suspected of having liquors stored therein. the sheriff must inspect such premises. and for each such inspection he is allowed, s4 up to fifty inspections in any one year in one county. After that the fee is &2 per place. This, regardless of whether liquors are found or not"
 Among the items that are charge able directly to the State Treasury are the following: Cost of extra session $50.000, (estimated): appropriations for railroad lawyers. $50,000; addition to Governors contingent fund $15,00a: pure food inspection law, first year, $S.- 900: back pay for feed of prisoners (the fund having been exhausted), $6O,. 900. of which sso.0oO is for the year near beginning.
 These are the known expenses and appropriations and the total will not be known until the laws are printed and an exact summing up made. There was an increase in the fund for going after fugitive feions, etc, of which no account Is taken. ,.--
 The expenses with which the county treasuries are burdened are figured as follows: Cost of election on constitu- tional amendment. $40.0o0: stenograph- CTS of the Circuit Courts, $15,000: ex- tra cost of the jury law In operation. 1t being estimated that the jury com missioners and clerks will be in ses- sion much longer than the Boards of Commissioners. and they receive great CT per diem for such time, s17000 (es- timated).
 
 propriated Sr0,000 outright for the printing of Governors proclamation for the constitutional prohibition election was the subject of comment yestsr- day. It went to a second reading and died on the calendar. Members won dered if the matter would be over looked by the administration side, but their curiosity was satisfied when all of a sudden there was announced a message from the Governor. He was sending back, with amendment the bill increasing the appropriation for his contingent fund from $5,000 to $10,00O. The amendment provided that the fund should be increased to $20,000 for the year 1909-10, and from the money should be paid the expenses 'of publishing the proclamation.
 AS 1t pertained to prohibition, the Governors amendment had a soapy Cnut9 llS tIdNSl InhOuSn tnG ASBlS- lature. The purpose of the amend ment became evident this week when the proprietor of a weekly newspaper asked the Governor for the contract in his county to publish the election ad- vertisement.
 'TWell, how does your paper stand on prohibition? was asked of the visitor.
 It happened that the paper had just been bought and had not, therefore, adopted any particular policy with reference to prohibition. Nor could he say what was his stand on consti- tutional prohibition. It was noticed that he did not get the advertising con- tract. Heretofore, the advertisements of such elections have been paid out of the printing fund. This Is a depart ure, and puts the distribution Of the patronage in the Governors hands en- tirely.
 It is estimated that the cost of such publications will be around $10,000.