The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-08
GOOD ROADS MEET
 SNAG IN SENATE Objections To Certain Fea-
 lures of Bill $2o,OOO TOO MUCH Many Believe Maintenance Fund for Department Should Not Be
 Over 10,0OO-Debate
 Was Interesting
By BERRYMAN G. nErTy

| made a special order for Thursday The good roads measure had many ad- vocates who urged immediate passage of the bill, though as many of the sections favored a re-committal of the bill for the purpose of having the instrument re- | considered. This was urged in order that the senators might give more attention 1 to the various features of the bill, chief of which was to advisabilty of permit | ting maintenance of S10,000 rather than $2O000. as stipulated in the bill. The sense of number of the speakers was that @ maintenance item of $2OOO0 per year ont of-total appropriation of only | S145,0 appeared rather exorbitant. 1 Senator Moody sprang the further point that the counties would object to sur rendering their highways to state control Tuscaloosa representative in this respect Several of the senators agreed with the The measure of the senate calls for a | highway commission of three members and for an appropriation of s154oO0 out of the convict funds of the state to aid in i the work of furthering good roads An expert engineer at a salary of $500O is au- | thorized.
 Trustees Named | Almost immediately upon the assemb- ling of the senate in the afternoon session | a message was received from the govern or notifying the senate of the appointment of seven trustees of the Alabama School for the Deaf, and asking for confirma- tion of the appointment.
 l The appointments were confirmed, the | following trustees being named: l For the term ending November 2S. 1914. J. c. Webb, Demopolis, First district; T. F. 4Iudman of Opelika, Third district; T. l P. Johnston, Sylacauga Fourth district; Dr. L. L. Hill, Montgomery, Second dis trict.
 For the term ending November 2S, 1916. | George D. Robinson, Wetumpka, Fifth district; Judge S. II. Sprott Livingston, | Sixth district, and Cecil Browne, Talla- | dega, Fourth district.
 Good Roads Bill
 The good roads bill was called from the calendar for special consideration under the special order of business of the day. at 3:45 o'clock, a parlia-
 mentary colloquy first proceeding as to
 whether . special order assignment d tion which had been passed provid- ing that the afternoons should be de- voted exclusively to the third reading | of local bills. Senator Tunstall insist
 cd that no resolution was iron bound,
 but President Seed held that the spe-
 cial order business should first be dis posed of.
 Senator Beasley thereupon in a short | speech explained the purposes of the bill, declaring that tho measure was | one which should receive unanimous action at the hands of the senate. No
 appropriation that will benefit the rural districts more could posslbily be made,"
 he said, excepting only the common | school appropriation" The senator call
 ed, attention to the fact that the es- tablishment of such a commission would absolutely assure the highest type of
 roads.
 The senator urged his substitute measure as one more flexible than the
 original measure of Speaker Almon.
 Leaving Democratic Path
 Judge s. H. Sprott speaking against the wh ole measure, stated that the leg | islature, to his mind was departing | from the straight democratic principles. 1T came here." he stated, with two big 'Rs' before me--one for retrench
 ment and the other for. reform. But if Alabama has either retrenched or re- 1 formed. I have failed to keep up with the work of the legislature"
 The senator stated that he would
 have to vote against the bill. Senator Rogers of Lowndes county was in favor of having the appropria- tion reduced from s20.000 to $10,00O. He said that an injustice would probably be done to those counties which al- | ready have engineers in that they would have to help pay for the services of a | state engineer
 l Senator Atkins of Selma said that he would not depart from democratic prin- ciples, but that he thought that the present measure was in every way dem ocratic He said that Jefferson county would have to bear more of the pro rata appropriation than any other coun- ty. despite the fact that that county would get only S200o per year.
 Senator Frazer agreed with Senator Rogers that there was no pressing need | for the passage of the measure this aft ernooh and seconded the motion of Senator Rogers to recommit the bill. | Senator Moody was of the opinion that the measure deserved important consideration, especially owing to the fact that the state would, under the provisions of the measure, have juris- diction over the roads of the county. The senator strenuously objected to the suborndination of the county machinery | | to 8 state authority.
 Urges Postp0nement
 Senator Norman of Chambers county thought that the senate was unnecessarily delaying matters He said that he was 1 in favor of having the measure recommit- I ted at once.
 | Senator Atkins again took the floor in 1 defense of the measure, declaring that the senate was now prepared to vote on the question. He urged that time should not be lost on the question. "I don't be- | lieve that the counties would in the least | be nterfered with" The senator called attention to the Alabama good roads con- vention held last year, at which time a state highway commission was earnestly advocated. He said that he looked upon the bill as calling for no surrender of rights.
 | Senator W. A. Brown said that he was in favor of having the measure voted on at once. He said that all could not be satisfied.
 Senator Beasley moved to table the mo- ton to recommit the question. The ques- tion was put, and the motion to table prevailed by vote of 15 to 12. Senator Frazer then moved that the bill be made a special order for Thurs day at Il o'clock This motion prevailed. Senate then adjourned until Il o'clock. Bills Introduced