The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22
Temperance and Commission
 Government to Be Settled COMPROMISE TALK HEARD
Something Has Already Been Said of "SpIit Session" But Many Mem- bcrs Are Known to Be Op-
 posed to It
BY BERRyMAN G. BETTY

BY BERRYMAN G. BETTY
 Montgomery, January A.-(Special.)- What the legislature of Alabama will do with two questions of statewide interest
 at the present time, local option and municipal government, is creating no end of speculation in capitol circles. Without | doubt an agreement will be reached on both questions in committee meetings, but | the struggle that will be experienced in such session Is taken as forerunner of more trouble when the questions are 1 brought to the attention of both houses.
 Sessions of the legislature held during the past two weeks have been made in teresting time and again by the intro duction of liquor measures In both leg | islative bodies, but nearly all of the meas ures have been radically different from each other. A number of local bills have flooded both houses, while several bills | of statewide legislation have been intro duced, and referred to committee. | Of the two liquor bills which have ere ated the most interest. the first is the measure of John V. Smith of Montgom- cry, who has a sweeping bill for the re- peal of all liquor laws, and the second is the measure Just introduced in the sen ate by Frank s. Moody. the Temperance | sage' of Alabama. Senator Moody's measure provides for d dispensary in al counties where such a control of the | liquor forces is desired
 1 The bill has been referred to his own committee for consideration, and it's fate even in that gathering is undecided Compromisc Agreement | It is generally understood in the city that a compromise will be sought for all of the measures by the passage of bill which shall meet the approval of the administration, and which in essence will provide that local option--as declared in | the platform of the party-sl1all be es- 1 abolished throughout the state. The bill has not yet been drawn up. but leaders
 in both the house and the senate are known to have had several conferences on the subject the plan being to reach some agreement that will palliate all clements. and at the same time provide | the relief promised under the ONeal ad- ministration.
 Montgomery. Mobile and Birmingham
 
 is desired in these three leading cities of the state. while further local option legislation will be classified according to the population of cities.
 Municipal Commission l Agreement upon some form of munich pal government is probable by the end of next week. joint sessions of the house and senate committees on municipalities hav-. l ing already been held as 'feeler." At the last of these committee meet | ngs 1t was decided to have copies of all of the commission government bills print ed and distributed among the members l of both houses.
 terest have already been introduced in the l legislature, two of the measures originat- | ing in the senate and the other in the | house. In the lower body Walker Percy of Birmingham has introduced measure which provides especially for munich pal government in the city of Birming- ham; in the upper body Senator Michael Screws. Montgomery and Senator Allen, | Florence, have introduced bills designed to satisfy the entire state.
 | Much merit is said to attach to all of | the measures, and each Is said to be ad hered to by strong following.
 Difficult Status
 | Concentration of all the municipal gov erninent forces upon one measure is diff fcult and will prove still more so, owing to the queer position of Montgomery and Birmingham. In these two cities cleo tions have already been held at which the registered voters of the respective munich | palities voted overwhelmingly in favor of some local option measure. Represents | tives of these cities as a consequence, have designed bills that are primarily, in- <5~1 kl.> !, xA- spective cities. little attention being paid to the other municipalities of the state. l The bill by Senator Screws, however, in- | cludes all of the cities of Alabama. hence it is commonly thought that the measure I could be well adapted to the needs of the ] state if an agreement could be reached. l The measure introduced by Senator All len is designed to close the breach that | might yawn between the big cities and | the smaller municipalities Municipal gov
 ernment by commission is proving so pop
 ular at the present time that tho smaller communities of the state are clamoring | to come under It's wings.
 l General understanding, however, is that a decision can be reached on the matter \ with greater ease than the local option situation can be adjusted.
 | strikes Stride
 | Developments in the legislature dur | ing the past two weeks have shown that both houses have just about set tied to a stride, nearly all of the pre- liminary business to be transacted by the solons having already been dis posed of A good two weeks work T however, has been required to erect I this end. Organization of both houses occupied much of the first week, while | the introduction of bills and the con .l sideration of number of bills in com mittee meetings have taken up pretty much all of the second weeks work
 Few bills of statewide interest have
 been passed after third reading, but q
 number of measures of. great conse- quence are now pending and almost
 ready for the vote.
 | A hitch of some duration Is undoubt-
 edly to be expected when the various
 appropriation measures are given a
 consideration in the two houses. In
 the face of certain deficit by the end
 of the present fiscal year. nearly ev- cry other bill introduced to the solons carries with 1t an appropriation which
 ranges frLm S50O0 to $76.000. Nearly