The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-29
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS

Montgomery. January 2s.-(special.)- Last Tuesday morning the Smith general local option bill was introduced. The entire week was spent in it's discussion. It is today dead letter.
 Next Tuesday morning, if the present plans materialize, there will be another general local option bill introduced. It will be a genuine local option bill, ap- plicable to every county in the state
 It will provide that each county in the state shall have the right to vote either on prohibition as against dispensaries or prohibition as against .buffets'-the latter to sell liquors, wines and beers.
 it Is probable that there will be a com panion bill introduced at the same time, this peipg bill of regulation, in which jast what shall be considered a 'unit'' Is determined.
 The probable controversy, it Is evident, will be upon the companion bill Bir- mingham, for instance, doesn't want Jeff ferson county to legislate for Birming- ham, On the other hand. Bullock county doesn't want Union Springs to sell liquor into the otherwise dry territory of Bull lcck county.
 The details of the companion bill have not been worked out Some of the strong est focal optonists of the legislature favor making each city of 10000 unit, others think that each city of 25oo should be unit. But from what can be gathered it appears that the city to be considered of unit will be of population greater than 25,Ooo This will giv Birmingham, Mont gomery and Mobile the right to vote for themselves.
 To Be Conservative
 feature of the new local option bill will be the provision that no city of q county, which, in an election, de- clared in favor of either prohibition, dispensary or buffet, shall have either prohibition, dispensary or buffet pro yided a majority of the voters of the city in question registered themselves at the polls as opposed to either.
 As has been, pointed out it is certain that a majority in the legislature fla vors local option. But each man is 50 jealous of his rights that no bill will be enacted into law unless every man. practically, of that majority Is pleased with the provisions of the bill.
 This serves to illustrate the difficulty of the proposition. Each man is so set tlsd ill his determination or idea as to what course should be pursued that there appears to be internal dissension among the local optionists, which Is not the case This apparent dissension has given the prohibitionists reason for great hope. It stands to reason that unless some plan Is agreed upon and put into effect there will be no change. and prohibition will continue on the book q fThe prohibitionists' hope, there fore. depends absolutely on the per-. manent disagreement of the local op- tionists
 Chances of Passage
 It is generally admitted that the Smith bill could neevr have been passed. The argument was made that it was not local option bill, but one framed for less than 10 cities of the state. It's provisions, too, were exceedingly drastic. The framer of that bill threw around 1t pro lection by statute almost as drastic and uncompormisable as the prohibitionists threw around their statutes for their pro- lection. In other words, the Smith bill was so straight that 1t broke itself In two.
 It Is believed generally that the local option bill to be introduced next week, providing simply for local option elections In each county--by which provisions the county is considered the unit-woud, If without amendment. be enacted into law. But this bill Is unsatisfactory to many of the cities of the state who want to do tlieir own legislation
 It is a question, therefore, as to whether or not the desires of the cities will so burden the general bill that its passage will be seriously handicapped. In case this state of affairs obtains it begins to appear that local option will result only through long process of legislative Aundrying