The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-04
Gov. O'Neal Declines to Make Statement at
 This Time
CAUSE OF GOSSIP
 IN CAPITAL CITY
Seems to Be Definitely Determined That Harry Jones Is Not to Be Given Place His Friends
 Expected
By BERRYMAN q. BETTY

Montgomery April 3.-(Special.) )-
 James Weatherly, one of the mos'
 prominent lawyers of Birmingham and
 one of the probable appointees of Gov ernor Emmet ONeal as one of the com
 missioners of Birmingham under the
 new form of government. now seems
 to be a certainty.
 l His name was first mentioned in that
 connection today by some in the hote lobby who have been following the
 scramble in the Magic City with vita
 enthusiasm and interest, and promi-
 hence was at once given to the rumol owing to the generally accepted favor | in which it is believed the appointment | of Ms Weatherly would be received. 4
 It is known that Mr. Weatherly spent
 much of last week in Montgomery and
 that he had frequent conferences witt
 the states chief executive, but up to
 today no one guessed the cause of his visits.
 | It is given out in the city that Mir Weatherly will be named on the board in the place of Harry Jones. in whose | behalf number of delegations have l been sent to the city. Current rumor which has mentioned MT. Weatherly' } name as one of the commissioners se- 1 ected by the governor has it that his appointment will be made as compro- mise between the Jones and George B Ward factions. inasmuch as friends of both these well-known citizens have been diligently at work in behalf of their candidacy.
 <>,< ,;rrI,f hya tfaIt refused to discuss the appointments in any way, saying that he was to hold another conference with friends be- fore he would be ready to make any announcement. Who it Is that the chief executive will call into this confer ence was not suggested by him, though
 he intimated strongly that he might
 announce the appointments by tomor- row, if they can be reached by that time.
 "I delayed signing the Birmingham
 commission government bill up 10 Fri- day night" the governor stated, be
 cause I did not wish to make the ap- pointments at that time. It was my in
 tention to withhold that announcement until I was ready to make the appoint
 ments but the fact got out The governor was then asked the dl- rect question or whether or hol iic TIT tended to appoint MT. Neatherly as one of the commissioners.
 q cant make any announcement at | this time' he answered, but you may tell Birmingham that l will make the appointments as soon as l can get 2 little more time to consider the mat ter"
 i"Will you make the appointments to-
 morrow" he was asked.
 q hope to be able to do so,' was the reply but I can't promise. The governor then stated that he was | to hold another conference on the situa-
 ton before anything definite would be made.
 | Some of the friends of ex-Mayor | George B. Ward took courage out of l the Weatherly rumor, thinking that the | appointment of MT. Weatherly if it is l made, might mean another man in the | place of Judge A. O. Lane. This i'm l pression is not given credence, however | inasmuch as it is known that the com mission government bill was so amended
 as 10 precisely fit the requirements fol ,..e d p ointment of the jurist. | It is suggested than one of the Mor- | row amendments to the Smith regula- tion. bill, which was on Friday placed | to the measure, further looked to the
 appointment of Judge Lane, inasmucl
 ne his anrend,nent made the excise com
 missionerss of Jefferson county to be
 C. il posed of d body of men independent
 of the Birmingham commissioners. Te
 be an excise commissioner Is to hold
 state office, which under the consti-
 tuition Judge Lane is not allowed to do
 inasmuch as he is now on the circuit bench.
 1 MT. Weatherly's friends in Montgom-
 cry are jubilant over the report that he will be appointed to the office. For a
 long time MT. Weatherly lived in the Capital City, but since his residence in Birmingham he has always kept in close touch with the affairs of Montgomery. His appointment is generally looked upon as one of the best that the governor could make The best bet is that the three commissioners will be Mayor Exum Judge Lane and Mir. Weatherly.