The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-26
Legal Machinery Requires That Certain Amount of
 Time Must Elapse
OFFICIAL VOTE TO BE
 CANVASSED TUESDAY
Governor Must Name Excise Com missioners, They Must Qualify and Spend Some Time
 Receiving Applications

l Now that the local option election is over and the sale of liquor legalized in Jefferson county, the question: that is re-establish the saloons?
 Under the provisions of the Parks bill, under which the election was held, five days must elapse from date of election be- fore the votes are canvassed by the court officials, who in this case are Judge Stiies, Sheriff McAdory and Circuit Clerk Wal iorop, who inspect the returns and officially announce the result by publication in some newspaper published in the county
 When the returns have been officially declared the governor may at once ap- point the excise commission, provided in the Smith bill, who on taking the oath of office can receive the applications of the persons desiring to engage in the liquor business. The said applications must be published in q local newspaper for two successive weeks the printed notice giv- ing the full name of the applicant and the exact location of the premises he will occupy.
 Any qualified elector residing in the city or town where the proposed saloon is to be located can file a written petition with the excise commission objecting to the place or the applicant, which the com mission must receive and consider.
 As the case now stands the vote of the recent election will be canvassed by the county officials next Tuesday, August 29, and the final result published the next | day. Should the governor Immediately appoint the excise commission it will prob- ably take several days for .hem to qualify. The applications will have to be received by them and published two weeks, after which time the license will be granted or rejected by the excise com missioners.
 | In the event the application is received favorably an order will be forwarded to the probate judge, who will, on payment of the required sum, issue license and the applicant can open up his place Of business at once.
 So allowing five days to canvass the returns, and 10 days for the commissioners co elalfy and receive and publish appr- cations, and IA days to advertise the same, saloons could be opened on or about the first day of October.
 It is hardly probable that all the H. censes will be granted by that time, as there may be objections filed with the commission as to the granting of license | in certain cases. Then again, there is no doubt that many more applications will l be made for license than the law pro- | vides for, and the selection will of necessi- ty take some time.
 The provisions of the Smith bill in re- gard to the number of licenses reads as | follows:
 "The number of licenses to be granted in any town city under the provisions of this act shall be limited to one for every one thousand Q0OW or fraction thereof population. provided that in all cities of Class A (cities of more than 75,- 600 inhabftants), the number of retail li- censes shall be limited to one for each three thousand or fraction thereof of pop ulation in such city. Provided that the licenses issued to bona fide hotels having 30 ormore rooms in cities of Class A, B or c, shall not be counted or con licenses which may be issued. As Birmingham comes under Class A | there could be only A licensed saloons in the greater city, limited number of hotels and a few breweries.