The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-02
VERY HEAVY OUTLAY
FOR LEGISLATURE
Special Session in Mississippi
Cost Over 100000
REPORTS NOT PRINTED
Contingent Fund Is Short of Neces-
sary Amount to Pay for Printing
All the Reports Made BY the
Many Committees

Jackson, Miss June IA little figuring
on the expenses of the late legislature
shows that 1t cost the state s102 900 to hold
that short" session.
The first appropriation for legislative
expenses was $4,000. That was to pay
mileage and per diem. When that was
exhausted there came another appropria-
tion of $4,000 making $4,000 for the ex-
penses of the members.
In addition to this there were appro.
priatons for contingent expenses of s29 ,OOd
-s15.50o by the senate and $15500 by the
house.
IT was supposed when the legislature
adjourned that there would be plenty re.
manning in the two contingent funds to
pay for the printing of the reports of the
three Investigations that had been had,
viz: the report on the Bilbo bribery mat
ter in the senate, the report of the house
committee on the governors contingent
fund, but it has been found that the
funds remaining amount to only about
$500. which lacks several hundred dollars
of paying for the printing of the reports,
even should the smaller number, 5000
copies, be determined on.
However, 1t is believed that 5000 copies
will be more than sufficient, as there will
not be much demand for them. This is
all looked upon as ancient history now
and there will be no great demand for the
reports.
1t is remembered that 10 or II years ago
there was just as great a hurrah over
the investigation of charges of corruption
in the management of the affairs of the
penitentiary Five thousand copies of the
report of that intensely interesting inves-
tigation were ordered printed and thou
sands of them were left on hand. The
same will be found to be the case with
the reports of the above mentioned inves-
legations, the newspapers having printed
all that was necessary.
Attorney General Hudson has returned
from Water Valley, where he went to
represent the state in the antitrust case
against the Cumberland Telephone COM
pany.
This is known as the "Oxford case,
and was instituted several months ago by
the then attorney general, j. B. Sterling.
The hearing was before Chancellor l. T.
Blount, the Cumberland being represented
by J. B. Harris of Jackson and General
Attorney Cranberry of the Cumberland,
with headquarters at Nashville. Ihe
chancellor announced at the conclusion
of the arguments that he would take the
matter under advisement and his decision
Is expected to be made known in few
days.
The allegation in this case is to the eff
feet that the Cumberland entered into an
agreement with the oxford Telephone
company for the control of business at
that point, in violation of the state law
as to trusts and combines. General Sterl-
ing looked into the matter very thorough
" before his retirement from office two
months since, and was thoroughly con-
WINGED that the two companies had
formed a trust. The data he had secured
was turned over to his successor.
Under the contract entered into be-
tween the companies at Oxford, the Ok
ford company was to turn its long-dls-
lance business over to the Cumberland for
= consideration of 10 per cent on each
message, and in lieu of that the Cum
berlnnd agreed that it would not enter
Oxford for local business. and that 1t
would not do business with any other
iOcai company that might be organized.
In the event that the two companies are
found guilty of having formed and en-
tered init. trust and combine the court
may in its discretion impose fine Of from
100000 to 100000.
The Gulf Refining company, one of the
biggest rivals of the Standard Oil COM
pany in this section, has determined to
In Toc1 70
make this one Of Its chief distributing
points. With this end in view it has al
ready purchased a desirable location on
tho line of the Alabama and Yicksburg