The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-16
ALMON FEELS SURE OF THE SPEAKERSH|P Attended Good Roads Confer
 ence Here Yesterday WILL BE AN OPEN FIGHT Tuscumbia Man Thinks Colonel O'NeaI Will Re Absolutely Hands or in
 Matter of Choosing Speaker
 of the House
WILL BE AN OPEN FIGHT

Judge E. B. Almon Of Tuscumbia, Col bert county's representative and a candl- date for speaker of the house. attended a meeting of the good roads legislative committee held at the Hotel Morris in Birmingham yesterday.
 Talking on the speakership. Judge AL mon said: The numerous additional promises of support which I have had within the last few days cause me and my friends who are familiar with the 1 situation to believe confidently that there Is now doubt but that will be elect ed. It has been intimated by some that Governor-elect O'Neal might undertake tc use his influence in the matter of the se- lection of the speaker of the house This l am sure is not true. While I am his neighbor and his friend and gave him my active support. both before and after his nomination, still I would not enbar- rass him by asking him to help me.
 NO man who is a friend of Colonel ONeal, and who desires to help him make his administration a success, should what or expect him to undertake to usurp the functions of the members of the house by even advising. much less undertaking to dictate, who they should elect as their officers. The functions of the executive and legislative departments of the state government are separate and distinct and no one appreciates and realizes this more than our newly-elected governor, as was clearly shown by his speeches during the recent campaign.
 'I won't think that any members of the 1no oS1o tt,r | one else need deceive themselves by thinking that the views of the governor | toward them will be changed by their attitude toward candidates for speaker of the house. This is a contest between his friends in a democratic caucus where the members of the house are expected to select one of their number as their pre- siding officer, who Tn their judgment is best suited and qualified by temperament and training to discharge the duties of this important position"
 In reply to an inquiry as to what was done at the meeting of the legislative committee of the Good Roads association, which is composed of Judge E. B. AL mon, chairman; J. H. Bankhead, Jasper; Oscar Underwood, Birmingham; John Craft, Mobile; ". T. Brown, Ragland: Hugh Morrow, Birmingham; J. c. Kumpe. Moulton; J. A. Rountree, Bir- mingham, and George H. Parker, Gull man, Judge Almon said: There were sev- eral members of the committee absent and we did not finish our work and will have another meeting at Montgomery in few days after the legislature con- venes. The committee was directed by the State Good Roads association to pre- pare and present to the legislature a bill to create a state highway commission and also one to put into operation the good roads amendment to the constitu- ton.
 'I feel confident that the legislature will carry out the platform of the demo- cratic party by creating state highway commission.
 'I am heartily in favor of bill putting the good roads amendment into effect by securing as large appropriation from the net proceeds of the convict depart ment for the construction of public roads as the condition of the treasury will per- init. I am in favor of making a begin- ming even if the appropriation is only a small part of this fund. which I under stand now amounts to something like $SO0000 annually.
 Such bill has been insisted upon by the State Good Roads association repeat edly since the constitution was amended authorizing such an appropriation
 Judge Almon was in Birmingham only few hours, leaving immediately after the work of the legislative committee had been completed. He returned to his home in Tuscumbia.