The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-10

SeSufieies unuer the supervision or the state banking department and stops the sale hl thlS state of securities in com panies W.lch have no assets. I believe that tifs bill will be of great benefit 10 investors in this state and will cure an evil which has been a reproach to Birmingham.
 H. B. 143: "ro authorize courts of county commissioners to make tempor- ary loans in anticipation of taxes" which gives to counties In effect the right to borrow money in the summer months and repay the amount when taxes are collected in the fall The au- thority contained in this law has al- ready been exercised by nearly one third of the counties of the state show ing that it was Legislation generally needed.
 H. B. l45: "To authorize the refund Ing of outstanding bonds by countless. This law was specially needed by Jeff ierson county, which has both court house and road bonds outstanding which mature in the next few years.
 u. 5. 1S2: '"fo amend Section 3025 of the code,' which relates to the build Ing of bridges over streams which form the boundary line between counties. II. B. 90S: TO provide for the return 10 surety companies which have ceased to do business in this state. of the se- curities which have been deposited by them,' and also bill to repeal section 562 of the code. This section provided for the employment of extra clerks at the capitol; 1t was clearly a political act and it's operation during the last four years cost the state $28 0oO, it's repeal was in the interest of economy.
 These bills are of general application throughout the state.
 Other measures introduced by me and passed relating to our county affairs were as follows:
 II. B. 2os: "ro regulate and prescribe the manner and way of transferring. as- signing and satisfying recorded liens and mortgages on real property"
 H. B. 23s: ITO regulate the payment of the costs in the case of convicts here tofore and hereafter sentenced to hard labor in Jefferson county, Ala, whenever and so long as said convicts or any of them are worked on the public roads of said county, and to require the board of revenue of said county to pay the costs of such conyicts'
 H. B. 44S: "To create in certain cities iiremen's relief fund. Creates pension fund in Birmingham fire department II. E. 525: ITO amend an act to create the juvenile court of Jefferson county, II. B. 546: "To provide for the maintc- nance and support of the Alabama Home of Refuge for Girls, and to make appro- priations therefor"
 H. 5. 9lS: "To fix salaries of sheriff. judge of probate, tax collector, tax as- sessor, clerk of the circuit court, clerk ol the criminal court, and the register ill chancery of Jefferson county"
 H. B. 9l1: '"ro provide for the pay ment of all state witnesses summoned to appear before the grand jury or sum moned to testify as witnesses for the state In the circuit court and criminal court"
 Il. B. 9l5; ITO provide for the pay meDt and retirement of claims against the fine and forfeiture fund of Jefferson coun- ty."
 II. B. 1476: '"ro appropriate the sum or S255 to pay an account due and owing by the state tax commission to Dewberry & Montgomery"
 H. B. 1f7s: "To appropriate the sum of s6o1.99 to pay Loveman. Joseph & Loeb for balance due for furnishing house and senate chambers as per contract" l Il. B. l54S: ''To authorize the court | of county commissioners or boards of revenue of counties which may now or hereafter have a population of 100000 or 1 more. to employ a chief clerk and as. ! sistant clerk and fix their compensation " As indicated above. I was honored with important committee assignments. being a member of the rules committee, way, and means, appropriations, revision oi laws and municipal corporations
 By virtue of these assignments I was able to render service to the state and Jefferson county in nearly all the import ant matters that came before the legis- ! lature, As a member of the committed | on appropriations, was able to assist | in obtaining appropriations for those lief ferson county institutions in which all are interested; viz, the Mercy Home In dustrial school, the Boys Industra school, and the Home of Refuge for Dc linquent Girls.
 i One learns very soon in the legisla. ture that one of the most important fune l tions of legislator Is to defeat bills tha ought not to pass. Early in the sessiol l found myself out of harmony with ths programme of legislation proposed by thi city hall. On account of the financia
 stringency then prevailing, due to tn.
 war. and accentuated locally by the fail ure of one of our banks, I withdrew nl
 objections to bill which authorized tn, city of Birmingham to issue about $500, 900 of deficiency bonds, before the de ficiency occurred. The policy of is suing such bonds ought not to prevail
 and my action in regard to this bill wa due solely 6 local and temporary condl tons, and not because I approved of tn measure.
 l was elected, as before stated. on platform that called for tax equalization 1 Which, while not so stating. in my opin ion, negatived the Idea of a horizonta
 increase in the tax rate on existing valua tions. After discussion of this ques ton, withdrew my opposition to the tal measure with the understanding that n election should be held looking to tn
 increase in taxes until after the value
 have been equalized. In my opinion, tn present inequalities in tax valuations cal
 no longer be sustained, and I am equall sure that any increase in the rate, with
 out change in the valuations would b
 making bad matters worse.
 l opposed the bill to divide Jefferson
 county and contributed as far was il
 my power to the defeat of this measure
 l also opposed the bill ,commonl known as the waterworlSs condemnation
 hlll, which applies only to this county
 and sought to condemn the property O the Birmingham Waterworks, in a man
 ner that appeared to me to be fl
 plain violation of the terms of
 contract which the city had recently en tered into with the water company, un
 der the terms of which contract the cit
 was, at the time, and is now, proceed
 ing to the acquisition of the plant b. purchase. I opposed this bill because
 believed 1t wrong in principle; and 1 op posed it because believed that such leg
 slatlon would have the effect of drivin from the state millions of money tha
 might otherwise seek investment here.
 opposed it for the further reason that
 believed that no doubt ought ever
 be raised in Alabama over the safety c
 capital once 1t has been invested here
 The very claim made by the advocates c
 the measure that by it's passage tn
 property of the water company could
 bought for $l,000.O00 less than It's ar
 praised value. was tO my mind the great