The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-19
Amendment Planned So That County Officials May
 Be Put On Salary
WOULD PROBABLY WIN
 BEFORE THE PEOPLE.
percv AIso Introduces Commission Bill in House and One Providing for
 Holding Only Convicts Re-
 sponsible for Road Work
BY HUGH ". ROBERTS

Montgomery, January 1S.-tSpecialD Are you in favor of an amendment to the constitution segregating Jeffer- son county from the other counties or the state in the matter of regulating fees? Yes -. No -
 The above will probably be submit ted to the voters of the state in the near future. That 1t will be successful. if it is submitted, there is every req son to hope. If it is successful then the claw of the fee grabber in Jeff ferson county will be trimmed.
 A bill providing for an amendment to the constitution as outlined above was submitted to the house this morn ing by Representative Percy of Bir- mingham MT. Percy will apply his influence for the passage of the bill. in the house. When it reaches the sen ate Senator Hugh Morrow will lend his great influence to secure it's sue cessful passage.
 It is generally believed here that MT. Morrow and MT. Percy will De able to carry thoir point. It IS in- dicated that very little argument Will serve to educate the people of the state to the necessity of such an amendment In other words, i, is believed that for the first time telling blow has been struck against the system which mas worked incalculable evil In Jefferson county It is believed, too, that the fight. which had its real beginning to- day, will be successful.
 Morrow Compromise Valuable
 In the beginning of the campaign against the fee system it looked very dark indeed. It Is true that in many counties of the state sheriffs are un- aerpaid just as it is true that the sher- ifs of Jefferson county have drawn revenue sufficient to maintain the castle of an earl The legislature, realizing as they do that 1t is absolutely neces- sary to remedy the evil in Jeferson' xvould not have done so, if, at the same , time, their action would have injured the sheriffs of little counties of the Nstate. And the organization of sher-
 Ifs Is one of the strongest of its kind in Alabama and one of the most in fiusntal in a political way. The sheriff of eacA county, as rule. has friend ln And foi all these reasons the outlook was exeptionally dark. The prediction was general that the fight was hope less.
 When anator Morrow, however, made his comppmise with the sheriffs' asso- citation, rention of which has already occurred | The Age-Herald, it is now believed tat the stroke was that of master. 4 is remembered he agreed to support tfl bill restoring to the sheriffs the turnkS fees, if they, on the other hand woud aid him in segregating Jef- ferson couty from the remainder of the state MrMorrow carried out his agree ment withIhe sheriffs, and the bill went through tn senate without material op- position. he sheriffs now, in turn, will render the efferson delegation service in carrying th proposed amendment to the constitution
 Oulook Very Bright
 Under ordiary circumstances the fight to get the alendment to the constitution submitted, wlch will be a strenuous one,
 would cause lose hopeful of successful issue great dabt and fear. But the fee system evil il Jefferson is already well
 known, and irthe legislature two of the strongest memers are Senator Morrow and Representtve Percy
 So the outloG is much brighter and
 as stated 1t I generally believed that
 inc claw of thefee grabber of Jefferson
 will be trimmed However, as has been
 cointed out in he Age-Herald, there is no plan afoot t{cut down the remuner-
 ation of the oiceholders of Jefferson county unreasorlbly. The idea, on the other hand, is ttpay the officeholders of Jefferson really princely salaries, IL is believed, as a mtter of fact that many excellent men ofbne qualifications would be willing to accpt the office of probate fudge for s17,SOO, ind the office of sheriff
 for a sum of $2p0O per annum. CommissiO Bill Introduced Mir Percy. too,ntroduced in the house today his commission form of govern ment bill for Jeerson county, the pro- visions of whichhave been set forth in The Age-Herald As indicated, the senti- ment in favor ! commission form of { government is Ferwhelming, the only possible obstacleln sight being the fact that every indiviha1 has his own idea as to what the prolsons of the bill to be E adopted shall be.A committee represent | ing in it's memb%hip the house and the senate will soonheet to thresh out the \ proposition, and b take from the vari- ous bills subrnitti and to be submitted those features oseneral popularity and \ Incorporate themh another bill on which, 1t Is hoped, ever interest will center X Another bill q great Interest intro- duced by MT. prey provides that in which exceeds O0000.000 no one save
 right to 'barter advertising space for
 convicts shall be eld responsible for road
 work. On accoul of the figure, $10O,OO0- 900, this bill wilbe effective, in case of its adoption, in.lo county of the state
 except Jefferson.
 Three Iiercstlng Bills I Three other biS of general statewide
 interest are befoi the house at the pres ent time-all intrluced by Representative Williams of Baibur. One provides for the abolition ofhe department of fish and game and le laws governing the killing of game Alabama. The second
 provides for an erease in the salary of
 the supernumera judge from $32O0 per
 annun. as at brent, to $4000. The third
 provides that nefpapers shall have the Il l. k