The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-01
PROTEST AGAINST
new EQUITY COURT
S q
Cullman County Officials Go e
Montgomery
NEW BILL INTRODUCED
Judge Burke and solicitor Griffin Are
Active in the Fight Against the
Bill as 1t Affects Them
Most

Cullman, January 31.-(Special.)- "A num-
Der of men, Including Judge R. 1. Burke,
Solicitor S. J. Griffin and others. have
gone to Montgomery to be present at. the
hearing of the report of the Judiciary COM
mittee, when it makes its report on the
passage of the bin creating the law and
equity court for Cullman county. These
men are there to protest against its pass
age. Should the bill become a law both
Mr.. Griffin and Judge Burke would be
materially affected, as the establishment
of law and equity court here would
abolish the office of county solicitor,
which Mr. Griffin now holds, sister bill
which has been introduced by Representa-
tive Griffith provides for the adjustment
OF the county court, which is held twice
year by Judge Burke. The latter bill
Is said to have already had favorable
report from the judiciary committee in the
house of representatives, and the prob
abilities are that the bill will become law.
Judge Burke and his fellow opponents
are Industrious in their opposition, hav
ing armed themselves with voluminous
data for use at the coming hearing. The
proposed bill to be introduced by Repre-
sentative Griffith detaching Cullman coun-
ty from the Eighth judicial circuit and
leaving it unassigned also incurs the
hearty displeasure and opposition of Judge
Burke and his friends. They assert that
a. bill of that nature can not be passed,
or that If it should pass that it could be
successfully attacked on constitutional
de ha hot
two terms of a circuit court shall be
held in each county of the state each
year. Notwithstanding this opposition
Representative Griffith predicts the pass
age of all his bills.
There has never been time In the his
tory of the town that such scarcity Of
houses to rent existed as it does at this
time. TO secure house for rent is al
most an utter impossibility in Cullman,
the men who own property here seeming
to have ceased all work in the way of
constructing rent houses, and the increas-
ing population has placed premium on
what houses there were heretofore used
for rental purposes Cullman has grown
considerably within the last two years,
but its growth has been confined prin-
cipally to the building of brick houses for
business purposes, and the residence por-
ton has been sadly neglected, with the ex-
ception of those that have been built for
personal use by the property owners. That
some work along this line is much needed
is clearly apparent, and 1t is feared that
if those who own the property do not
do something in the way of erecting
ers, the tide of immigration to the town
will be compelled to cease.
AT the next meeting of the board of
city council, which will be held the first
Tuesday in February, the contract for
the engineering and grading of the town
preparatory to the construction of side
walks will be let; also bids for the laying
of the walks will be received, but this
contract will not be let until the regular
meeting of the following month.
The town was surveyed and placed on a