The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-01

said, THE senate Is undemocratic; it
represents nobody
The senate entertains a somewhat sim
ilar opinion of the house; it thinks the
house too cratic and unwieldly especial
ly when the house delays action on SEN
ate measures. The senate has been
known to threaten to hold up house
measures until the house took hold OF
senate bills and put them through
With a pile Of Its own work yet to
do, besides all the senate has sent over
to It, 1t Is difficult to see just how the
house expects to do anything with the
new tax reform bill which has been
passed by the senate, providing for coun-
ty boards of tax assessors and state
board to pass on returns made to the
comptroller general. 1t will be recalled
that the senate consumed an entire week
on this measure. and then took part of
an extra day out of another week to
vote on It, Ordinarily the house would
require at least week for the consid-
Grafton of such a measure, but TO take
It is out of the question. This is about
the most important measure under con-
sideration at this session. but 1t is not
likely that the house will be able to give
more than day to 1t at the outside.
Right there it's passage Is endangered,
because the house Is famous for finally
tablng important measures which 1t does
not have sufficient time to discuss
Compulsory Education
Then the house has the compulsory
education bill to thresh out again be-
fore the end, and it is likely 1t will
be disposed Of early next week. This
measure will, In its turn. give the senate
a. bad quarter OF an hour. as 1t is un-
derstood there will be some lively oppo-
10 that side This state
ment is, of course, predicated on the
supposition that the house is going to
pass the bill. and with a full attendance
there is little doubt that this will be
the case.
Then there are the appropriation bills
which were tabled after discussion in
the house. These. involve appropriations
for the state normal school, state uni
versity, chronological school, state SAM
tarium and Confederate monument on the
capitol grounds, for which 100000 Is
asked.
Some of the appropriations asked for by
the state sanitarium, including additional
maintenance fund and for tuberculosis
hospital, have already been passed by the
house; others involving new boilers, a
water tank and other matters, went to
the table.
1t is said, with the possible exception
of the s35. 900 appropriation asked by the
Tech for new shop building, 1t Is hard
ly likely any of these appropriation meas
ures which failed on the first round will
be taken up again.
Impeding Legislation
They have had their day in court. :"
said a well-known member of the house
rules committee, "and with the present
temper of the house l do not see why
they should be permitted to stand in the
way of important legislation which has
not yet had chance. I believe you can
count upon II that very few, II any. of
the appropriation bills which were sent
to the table will be given another hear
ing"
1t was learned. however, that strongest
pressure has been brought to bear In
the case Of the Tech. appropriation, and
considerable hope Is expressed of getting
1t through.
house there is, too, the bill to abolish the
fee system for solicitors general, to
which the senate gave considerable time
and attention. The house will scarcely
have chance to give this measure much
thought, and II 1t passes 1t the work
will have to be done in very much of
hurry.
OF special interest. too, is the question
of increasing the salaries Of the judges
vi tiC oupt CAiC SOuit uiN tAC ctdt0 COuIt
of appeals. 1t is proposed to increase
these salaries in each case from $4,000
to $4,000 each. In neither case have the
bills yet been finally passed, though the
senate has acted on both of them favor
ably. The house is liable to do con-
siderable talking on this subject before
1t gives its assent.
Biennial Sessions
Under the circumstances biennial SEES
sions is dead duck in the pit" and
it Is doubtful If the proposed amendment
to- the registration law, to. cut down the
time between the closing Of the registra-
ton lists ana the election to 80 or 90
days, will get showing in the house,
especially In view of its defeat in the
senate.
In the first place. the Hoke Smith ele-
ment. which fathered the new registra-
ton law, has majority In the house,
and It Is questionable whether the amend
ment could muster enough votes to pass
It, even though 1t were extensively
threshed out. Then again, as 1t is a
matter which Is likely to provoke long
discussion when taken up, the chances
would be in favor of it's losing out on
account Of the approaching end Of the
session.
Altogether there is considerable impor-
tant work yet to be disposed of, and
when 1t comes to general legislation that
means something, the legislature will
he 40 in, he a.