The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-23
 |O'NEAL'S FRIENDS | BITTERLY OPPOSE EXTRA SESSION Scarcely Enough Revenue Would Be Raised To Pay
 Expenses of S0lons
WOULD REFORMS
 BE ACCOMPLISHED? !?
Governors Friends Maintain They Will Not-It Is FOrecasted ed He Will Have Difficulty in Controlling
 the Next Legislature
By BERRyMAN G. BETTY


 Montgomery. September 22.-tspecial)- While there is every probability that Gov ernor ONeal will call a special session of the legislature within the next few months. possibly by January l. it is un- deniable that the governors closest po- litica friends and advisers are using every effort at their command to dissuade him from issuing the call
 It Is admitted by the governors friends that reforms are needed: 1t Is even con ceded that certain reforms seem impera- tive. The revenue bill is inadequate. the present system of taxation is considered unjust; local taxation is needed for the public school system and the revision of the states judicial system is regarded as necessary.
 But would these things be accomplished by a special session of the legislature? Those who are intimate with the gover- nor, particularly those who have the best interests of the chief executive at heart, maintain that they could not. They main tain that scarcely enough additional rev enue would be provided by an extra ses- sion of the legislature to pay the cost of the special session, and that whatever other reforms the governor might wish to institute, particularly those changes look ing to an increase in the states revenue. would have equally as hard time in passing the two houses of the legisa- ture.
 Changes Are Imminent In other words, the friends of Governor O'Neal maintain that he would have an exceedingly hard time in controlling the legislature were it called together in spe- cial session. They claim that the person. mel of the next legislature will present number of changes. many of which were brought about through the governors ap- pointive power.
 Particularly will this be noticeable in the house, from which body the governor has lost several of his strongest friends. In the senate the administration will still control the majority, though even there the governor will find some formidable opposition.
 The house will probably be dominated in the next session, fin the event the legis- lature reconvenes, by Walker Percy Of Birmingham, who was by all odds the big gest factor in the states law making body in the session of 1911. There were few issues on which MT Percy did not fight the governor, and, while he lost, his de- feat was only brought about by the stern est efforts on the part of the administra- ton forces.
 Percy Will Be Factor Those familiar with MT. Percy's efforts In the last legislature, believe that he will be the dominating factor in the house in the event special session Is called, and it is not thought probable that the governor and Mir. Percy will affect a compromise.
 The governors chief object In calling a special session of the legislature will be to provide additional revenue for the state; to cut down some of the appropriations made at the last session. and to effect some of his reforms with reference to re- vision of the states criminal and civil procedure laws, But additional revenue will be his principal object In this connection the governor will en- deavor to pass laws allowing an assess ment of property on the basis of 100 per cent rather than on the present basis of 60 per cent. If is not believed that the executive will be able to accomplish this change. The governor will also prob- ably ask that laws be passed requiring the counties to feed their prisoners, which will very likely bring about just as serious opposition as the former recommendation. Regarding the passage of a law looking to constitutional amendment for the pur- pose of allowing district taxation for the support of the public schools of the state. |; is not likely that there will be much opposition, as this important measure was only defeated by one vote in the last legislature.
 To Garry Out Some Reforms
 Many of the governors ideas with ref erence to judicial reforms will probably be carried out by the legislature, as unan- lmous approval has been expressed by lawyers all over the state on the gov ernor's attitude on these reforms This will probably be the greatest work that the governor can hope to accomplish should the legislature reconvene in spe- cial session.
 Indications point to a special session of the legislature by the first of the year. The governor has declared that it may be necessary for him to make the call be- fore the end of his term. and has inti- mated that he may make 1t Immediately following the next general election in No vember
 But the friends of Governor O'Neal do not believe that the greatest good can be accomplished by calling a special session, and were they allowed to suggest, it is believed that they would use their ut- most efforts to prevent the executive from reassembling the legislature in ex traordinary session.