The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-28
Weather Has Been Too Warm
 For Some Time
NEAR BEER RESTRICTIONS
In Atlanta the Beer Is Getting Stronger and the Free Lunch Better and There Is Talk of Further
 Regulations.

Atlanta, January -(speciaL)-As the warm weather continues anxiety as to the Georgia fruit crop increases despite statements from fruit growers that there is no present danger.
 IL may be true that there is no danger yet. but there is danger according to State Entomologist E. L. wortham in the continuance of the present high tenn peratures.
 Mir Morsham stated last Thursday now five days ago. that 10 more days of this sort of weather would probably mean the destruction of the peach crop. A few more of these spring days will bring the trees, especially in south Georgia, gener- ally into bloom or will produce sufficient swelling in the buds to make them sus- eeptible to frosts. Under such conditions they would be victims to the first cold snap that came along.
 Reports of trees already in bloom are increasing. especially in the peach grow ing belt of southwest Georgia, and not a few have come out as far north as At lanta. Lovers of Georgia fruit are pray ing now for cold weather. and unless they get it soon it is more than likely they will be minus the fruit.
 Near Beer Conditions.
 The near beer saloon appears to be going through a process of evolution, or, rather, it might be called atavism, for it's tendency is backward toward the old time article
 First the city licensed and put restric- tions upon it, then the state taxed it. Now there is talk here in Atlanta of put ing still further restrictions upon 1t, among them fixing the closing hour at 10 o'clock as in the case of the barrooms before the day of prohibition. At pres ent they keep open as late as they wish, often until after midnight, though 1t Is unlawful for minors to enter them, nor are they allowed to keep open on Sun day
 The Georgia Railway and Electric com pany of Atlanta has put them in the same category with the saloons of the old days and has issued an order for orbidding it's employees to enter them in uniform on pain of dismissal.
 In the meantime the beer gets stronger and the free lunch better, and 1t begins to look as if the old days were gradually but surely coming back.
 Pension Rolls Ready.
 By next Monday, probably. practically every Confederate soldier and widow in the state who is entitled to a pension can call at the office of the ordinary of the county in which they reside and get their money.
 Pension Commissioner John W. Lindsey has his rolls practically completed. Only four ordinaries of the 146 in the state have so far failed to send In their lists but these have been notified again. and will probably be heard from this week. IT not, payment to the pensioners of the other counties will be made any way, and the counties in which the ordinaries were delinquent will have to wait.
 Commissioner Lindsey will be ready to present his rolls to Governor Smith by to- morrow or Thursday, and very shortly thereafter the governor will issue his warrant upon the state treasury for sum very close to ;1.00O0Oo. If the missing counties are heard from the total will be in the neighborhood Of se5o.Ooo.
 State Treasurer R. E. Park will then draw checks in favor of each of the or dinaries of the state for an amount equiv alent to the sum total of the pensions due in his county and it is the present inten- tion of Commissioner Lindsey to mail these checks by Friday night, or as many as possible at that time. and the balance on Saturday.
 This will place the money in the hands of every ordinary in the state by Monday, February l, and he will then be able to issue his checks In favor of the indi- vidual applicants.
 The treasury is in funds now, and there will be no need of further delay. This payment in lump sum will be more than welcomed by the pensioners. Last year they got their money in quarterly pay ments. the final payment not being made until December.
 Governor Smith approved the bill for restoration of payments in one lump sum, but 1t is said he would not have done so if he had remained governor for the next two years. The governor has stated that he will have no difficulty in financing the state until the expiration of his term, but with the annual payment plan re- stored there is going to be difficulty for the next administration. However the incoming administration wanted the lump sum plan restored. having made it feature of it's platform. and largely upon that ground Governor Smith approved the bill.
 Convicts Want Pardons.
 The state of unrest in the peniten- tiary produced by the agitation of last year, ana the ldct tnal recent lnVestl- gations have led to larger number of pardons than usual, has stirred the convicts to renewed efforts to secure their freedom by legal means and, as a result the prison commission Is con fronted by an extraordinary number of applications for pardon and parole.
 No less than 150 new applications for clemency have been filed with the com mission for hearing at the February