The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-26


 ment extending the right of suf- l frage to women. es
 Bills providing for the aboli-
 ton of the offices of prison in
 speetor, game and fish commits l sioner, geologfst, the court of ap-
 peals, and market commissioner. A bill providing for twice-a- A bill providing means for the
 enforcement of child labor laws. l A bill increasing the rate Of l franchise taxation to $1 on the
 5000 valuation
 A bill preventing shipments of liquor in any quantity into the l state.
 A bill preventing the sale of cigarettes in Alabama.
 A bill creating a department of l printing.
 A bill reapportioning the repre- sentation of the several counties l In the legislature.
 Prohibition and Corporation Influence One judging from the accomplish ments of the legislature would con clude that the influences by which l the hand picked" were swayed were those exerted by the prohibition bosses and "big" business. In the January session. nothing was accomplished save in accordance with the direction
  | the July session, measures opposed by | corporations died.
 It Is generally admitted by the labor l lobby that its sole accomplishm ent was the enactment of a bill reQuir- I ing the Louisville and Nashville rail road to institute electric headlights | It is believed that but for the fact that other railroads desired the Louis- vile and Nashville to install an cleo trio lighting system, the labor lobby could not have won its single point. l The corporation influence was noted | in the defeat of the following meas | ures:
 The bill to abolish the convict 1 lease system.
 The bill denying corporations exemption from taxation. | The antitrust bill. H The twice -a-month pay day bill. The bill making commissary checks transferable and redeem l able at face value.
 The bill increasing the corpora tion franchise taxation.
 The corporation influence was l chiefly-almost entirely-responsible | for the passage of the public utility l commission bill This measure, as is known, transfers control of all pub lie utility corporations from munich palities to central state board, and during the hours of the debate on its passage, corporation attorneys swarm ed like flies about honey comb. The corporation influence was again dem- onstrated when the legislature enacted a child labor bill carrying amendments dictated by mill operators; and again in the defeat of bill providing for the appointment of two inspectors, Absolutely necessary, according to 8 statement of pr. w. H. Oates, state prison inspector), for the enforcement of the child labor statutes. Powerful Lobby" Loses Control In the January session, prohibition in- fluence was that under which the legis- lature was swayed. As has been pointed out. the members of the legislature were hand picked" The members of the so- called powerful lobby" body consisting the majority of whom reside in Birmng- ham, did. it is thought, the picking" Its influence, as result, was more pow erful than any other In the first haf Of the session. It Is said. and probably with truth, that in the January session, nothing was accomplished that the lobby failed to sanction.
 During the recess, however, plans were laid, as is known, to deprive the governor of his appointive power and by other means to embarrass him. It has been said that the lobby laid the plans. The members of the legislature. at any rate, concluded that the lobby was attempting to proceed to lengths too great. and shaking off the influence which had proved so powerful in January, they de- serted in droves. As a result, efforts to secure for the legislature the right to appoint the members of the state equaii- Zation board, and the members of the convict bureau, failed. That the plan had for its object the humiliation of the r. = fact that the lobby or so-called majority faction wrote in their bill provision that members of the equalization board were to be appointed in the future by the gov- ernors of the future.
 As soon as the legislature broke the "spell' of the lobby, the members ran wild in their apparent delight. They de- termined that in no other way or by no other men would they be bossed. In the house, Majority Leader Merritt had his hands full in his efforts to keep his party in line, and in the senate, Majority Leader Lusk, whose word in January had been law, completely lost control. The strongest pr>pf of the lobby's inability to perpetuate it's reign is found in the fact that when in August it prepared new and more stringent prohibition laws, both houses refused point blank to swallow them. As a result, the lobby was per- force contented with a substitute the practical effect of which is the fixing of hours between which individuals may receive their liquor shipments.
 Leaders Stripped of Authority
 In the January session the house fol- lowed blindly the lead of MT. Merritt, and the senate the lead of Mr. Lusk. In the July session. immediately after the lobby was shorn of its power, the leaders were in fact leaders no more. In Jan usry. MT. Davis of Walker assumed the asoendency when against the wishes of the lobby he brought the proposed q, 500,- 900 bond issue amendment out om com mittee and put 1t through the house. In the July session, however, both he and MT Merritt were superseded by Speaker Carmichael when the latter took the play regarding the convict lease system out of their hands. AS Is remembered, MT. Mer- ritt. as chairman of the probe commit tee. sponsored an abolition amendment. On the day of. the fight in the houses. when both MT. Davis and MT. Merritt were apparently hopelessly Involved, the speaker took the floor, introduced 8 sub- stitute, and after saying in effect. Take this or nothing" drove it through with colors flying
 But when the session concluded it was evident that the most influential mem- bers of the house were Mir. Rogers of Sumter and MT. Tunstall of Hale, both of whom are local optionsts. MT. Tun- stall surpassed as a political diplomatist and MT. Rogers as an orator. parliamen- tarian and floor leader. The most infiuen- tial man in the senate was not developed
 ct tuo st tvU<1 hn r{o1a at,,r<,