The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-14
MR. MILLER SPEAKS AT
 LENGTH AGAINST BILL
Senator overton champoned it in Up- per House and Senator McWhor- ter Also Spoke for it-Three
 Amendments Are Lost.
BY BURR BLACKBURN.

 Greater Birmingham passed the senate this afternoon at o'clock by a vote of 20 to 6. Governor Conner will get the bill Monday, and it will be sent back to the house with an executive amendment The Governor told several persons today that he had made up his mind to send 1t back with amendments.
 He refused to be interviewed on the subject for publication, only stating with nod of his head, T am opposed to run ming lines inside of some corporations and outside of others l do not believe in ex- empting some enterprises and taxing othery
 It is not thought that the Governor will include Ensley, as one of the Ensley lobbyists who stands close to Governor Conner said today that the Governor promised him not to interfere.
 You all go and fight it out. won't bother you," he is quoted as say ing. But he does want to see the corpor- ation land at North Birmingham and Thomas and the Dimmick Pipe Works go back in It may be that the people of the suburbs could induce him to put Ens' ley back in if they go down Monday in numbers and put the matter up to him.
 At any rate Greater Birmingham will be a res ty on October 1. It will pass both houses in any shape which the Governor sees fit to send 1t back. as the majorlties were so overwhelming and the sentiment in favor of the bill seemed so strong.
 Has Knife for Grab Bill.
 Governor Conner has his knife out for the grab bill which Senator Strothef is seeking to push through. This gets a vote from both the city and the annexed territory at the same time and would make it very easysto iatlieS sssis any time. It would also give sylacauga the privilege of taking in certain mills in its neighborhood which came very near being grabbed not long ago.
 The King Greater Birmingham bill was successfully piloted through the senate by Senator John Overton, who was ably seconded by Senators Hamburger and Mo- whorter Senator Miller made speech against the bil and used his best efforts to defeat in, introducing three amend ments. The vote on the adoption of the bill was as follows:
 Nays-Gamble, Hinson, Jones, Miller, Moody and Phillips.
 Ayes-Barbour, Blackmon Doster, Glenn. Hamburger, Hammer, Hayes, King, Mer- ritt, McWhorter. Overton, Reid, Reynolds, Spragins, Wilson, Wimberly, Leith Reese, Davis and Lowe.
 Overton Calls Up Bill.
 When the special hour arrived Senator Overton called up the bill and explained that it was practically the same as that passed at the last session, and which Bir- mingham voted upon, adopting it's pro- visions by vote of four to one "If the people of the state want to see metro' politan city they want a Greater Brming. ham. Every citizen is deeply interested in the success of this measure. It Is not local, but one of the most important that ias come before you"
 Senator Hamburger said: "As a Mo- bilian nope the bill will pass If it falls it will put Mobile in the position of the biggest. as 1t is already the greatest, city in the state" He said that by the development of the Panama canal, and the opening of the waterways, Mobile will become the Philadelphia of the south.
 Senator Miller opened the fight against the bill. T appreciate the fact that noth- ing has been so much lobbied as this proposition, and I know you will be glad to get rid of it. In the first place at the regular session you adopted a general metnOQ UT oAteuulHB Clty Im1tS by the referendum, and you passed three separate acts setting out this principle. It is up to the advocates of Greater Bir- mingham to show why the general pol icy of the state should be changed in favor of Birmingham.
 There is a provision of the constitu- ton to the effect that no local law shall be passed on any subject which is provid- ed for by a general law-section 105.'
 After simplifying this idea MT. Miller said Before any of the present legs- lators were elected this was a pressing question to our people, and resulted in friction in local politics. representative committee composed of members from every organization in the city, drew bill to represent their ideas The Smyer bill was drawn, which includes the refer endum feature. All the organizations ap proved it.. candidates were pledged to support 1t, and then and there they made compact with the suburbs that no territory should be taken in except on referendum vote. This was adopted at Birmingham's instance. I want to inn press upon you the strength of this agreement made by these very people who are here wanting you to adopt this bill.
 Under the smyer bill Avondale. East Birmingham, Mountain Terrace and Glen Iris have been taken in. The method has been comparative success and will work in the other suburbs if tried undere the proper circumstances.
 "This bill includes a lot of wild lands manufa curing lands which are held in- tact for future development. As to the sanitary conditions. the sanitation sys- tenn of Jefferson county was built by the county-at-large and connections may be made by cities at any time.
 Birmingham has $1 tax rate, one half of which goes to the payment of old debts contracted before 1soiA-debts from which the annexed territory has reaped no advantage-and would have to pay All suburbs have improvements un- der way, and to pass this bill would mix in their contracts and cause confuson Aa m adeauate provision Is made for