The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-24
CITIZENS LAUNCH
MOVEMENT FOR
AN EXTRA SESSION
Altman Authorized at Meet
ing to Appoint Committee
to Take Up Matter
GOVERNOR MUST
BE FORCED TO ACT
This Is Opinion of T. II. Motion.
Should Ascertain Desires of Other
Counties-Harding Explains
Necessity for Session

The extra session movement was for
mally launched yesterday at noon at
luncheon in the Gold Lion tea rooms,
which was attended by two dozen or
more prominent and representative cit
izens of the city. After informal ad-
dresses upon the topic under consider
alton had been made, a motion was
adopted empowering John w. Altman
to act as chairman of a committee to
be appointed by himself to take in hand
the extra session movement and or
ganize it over the entire state.
The committee is to consist of not
less than FIVE and not more than 25
citizens of the county and the legis-
lative representatives of the county
are to be ex-officio members. Mr.. Alt
man stated after the meeting that he
would probably name a committee of
about 20 persons within the next two
or three days.
Among those present were Tom Nc
Donald, Judge c. c. Nesmith, A. Leo
Oberdorfer, Fred Sttley, DR.. II. A. Ell
kourie, w. p. G. Harding, T. H. Motion,
Charles A. O'Neill, Frank P. Glass.
Charles Hall, John w. Altman. b. II.
Cooper and several others.
Altman States Purpose of Meeting
After the luncheon was served Mr..
Altman informally stated the purpose
of the gathering. He reviewed the
anti-fee system amendment fight. stated
that if the amendment as indorsed by
the voters was not put into effect at
an extra Session Of the legislature It
would not then go into effect In some
of the most important county offices
until the next four or five years He
stated that reports were gaining cir
culation in all parts of the state that
for one reason or the other the gov
ernor would be compelled to call an
extra session of the state legislature
and that the purpose Of this meeting
was to start a movement In favor Of
the extra session to such an extent
that any possibility of there not being
one would be done away with and that
when the call was issued by the gov
ernor the anti fee amendment would be
Incorporated in It,
I. c. Mcdonald. a member of the leg
islature. responded 10 calls for speech
and stated that he was In favor of
the extra session. IF we name COM
mittee a part of whose duties 1t shall
be to obtain statistics on the fee sys-
tenn and present them to the governor
to show how mucn money would be
saved in the next four years by put
ting the fee system amendment into
effect by means of the extra session,
believe the argument could not be
successfully answered he said
Mr. Motion, another representative.
stated that in order to obtain results
from a movement for an extra session.
the state would nave to be organized
and the wishes Of other sections in
corporated in the movement
How About Other Counties?
"The governor is not going to call
an extra session, from what / am able
to learn stated MIR. Motion, unless
he is compelled to do so. Jefferson
comfy wants the extra session for
selfish motive Governor ONeal does
not think enough of Jefferson county to
call 1t. So why not start movement
to find out what some of the other
counties of the state want? Let all Of
our counties get together and thereby
make an unselfish motive out Of the
extra session movement. The commit
tee which we are going to appoint
should make this part of their du-
ties and we will then get movement
started which the governor cannot re-
sist.
"It is known no doubt by all of US
why the governor does not want TO
call an extra session. SO then, why not
Dledge ourselves and all others who
enter the movement that nothing viii
be done except strict business. Let's
forget about prohibition and liquor Leg
islatton and playing politics. Let's prom
ice that when the extra session is called
we will get down to business and do
something. Then the governor VIII no
Longer be afraid / don't blame him for
his present standing in the matter. IL
il looks as If all the policies he has
stood for and believes In. or the larger
nart of them, Will be overthrown If
Hbe calls tho extra session. The idea
IL to quit playing politics and do bus
mess. That's what we want the extra
session for. If we want 1t to play
politics it's better that we never
get 1t.
Harding Expects Extra Session
w p. G.. Harding, president OF the
tcirst National bank, stated that all
knew that Governor O'Neal was averse
n calling an extra session. "Neverthe-
Ices" continued Mr.. Harding, "one will
be called, ] believe.
..The state is right now in peculiar
nositfon The financial condition of
Flabama is not serious, that is I do
not believe 1t will have any serious
effects on the business of citizens OF
the state
III is simply this. The state has
reached its limit of paying interest on
loans The state credit Is good and 1t
can obtain money, but 1t cannot pay
interest much longer unless something
is done. The state government for the
mast several years has been gnanced by
the banks of the state taking up the
warrants issued by the state treasury
These warrants have been
good and are good now. However, the
interest on these warrants which
amounts to a considerable sum annual
lv. Is payable out of two funds and
these funds are about exhausted. They
are so nearly exhausted that when the
interest Is paid up in February on the
warrants issued for the last fiscal year
there will be nothing left, at least not
enough money to be of any account for
the purpose for which IL is intended.
THE situation then VIII be that
future warrants issued by the treasury
will have to be given to the banks on
a peculiar proposition. The capital Will
be safe enough but the interest on the
t.or min ha very snpctiiatfya- Than Ia