The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-10
John B. Weakley Issues
 Statement to Voters

In view of the fact that I was un- able at the time of my election to the legislature to make a canvass of the county and advise the public of my views on the various questions com ing before the legislature, and in view of the criticism that has been made in certain quarters as to my course of action in the legislature, I have thought it proper to give an account of my stewardship to the people who elected me to that body.
 I was elected to the legislature on a platform of prohibition of the liquor traffic. equalization of the burden of taxation and against government by appointment as it had heretofore pre- vailed in Birmingham; the problem of the liquor traffic and the system of taxation being. as I conceived it, the ance,
 Early in the session laws were passed dealing with the liquor question which arc now familiar = the people and nothing further need be said by me except that I voted for all the meas ures designed to bring about the pro- hibition of the liquor traffic in Ala bama
 I had the honor to be appointed chairman of the ways and means com mittee of the house in addition to oth- CT important committee assignments This chairmanship resulted in my be. ing selected as chairman of the join, recess committee on finance and tax atioD, which during the recess of the Legislature visited all the different sections of the state Investigating the tax laws of Alabama and the manner of their administration. The work of this committee covered a period of four months and resulted in the sub mission to the legislature of two bills which were afterward passed by the Legislature substantially as prepared by the recess committee, bringing about a complete change in the tax laws of the state.
 The platform upon which was elect ed contained the following: I've be- 1ieve the tax laws of Alabama should be so amended as to provide better more equitable and moro economical method of assessing and collecting taxes. and that the burden of taxation should be so distributed that each coun- ty will bear it's fair and just propor- ton of the expenses of government We are unalterably opposed to Jeffer- son county continuing to be the feed ing ground, of hungry horde of tax raisers every year"
 The new tax law as prepared by the committee of which I was chairman passed by the legislature and approved by the governor, provides for the equal 1zation of tax values, abolishes the state tax commission and redeems ev- cry pledge in this plank of the plat form. We have provided system of tax equalization not only between the individual taxpayers, but system ot equaliza ton between the counties. Our tax values are hereafter to be fixed by county board of equalization com. posed of our own citizens and the values thus fixed will remain for foul years. It is a significant fact that just as the system goes into effect our daily papers contain a notice that the branch office which the state tax commission has maintained in the Chamber O Commerce building has been closed an, the books and papers are Being shippe, to Montgomery, and thus has been re deemed our pledge that no longer cai Jefferson county continue to be thu acIdiHE Siou1u II HuHkTy HOTut O tax raisers each year"
 Answering what appeared to me to b, a popular demand for a change in tn, form of our city government, in col 1aboration with Senator Judge I pre- pared what is known as the "five-com missioner bill, which was introduce, by Senator Judge in the senate an, passed by me in the house with tn approval of majority of my col leagIles This hin ranuiras bat tho t,. additional commissioners therein pro vided for shall be elected by the peo pie instead of being appointed by tn Rovernc as was the case upon the in euguration of commission goyernmen in this city.
 The passage of these laws fulfine, the pledges that were made In my be half by the committee having in charg my campaign. but it was. of course not to be expected that the passage O these bills alone would be the limit O the activities of a representative iron Jeff erson county, but that other meas ures in consonance with the genera meaning of our platform would clair my attention.
 was selected to introduce and pro cure the passage through the legisla ture of H. B. POS: gro regulate the em ployment of minor children" commonl known as the child labor law, which while not entirely satisfactory to tn friends of the measure, nor to me, regarded as a long step forward in tn Improvement of conditions surroundin child labor in this state.
 also introduced and secured tn Dassage of other bills of general char acter applicable to the entire state, a follows:
 The uniform warehouse receipts ao being an act prepared by the com nittee on uniform laws of the Amer 5can Bar association and now adopte in 32 states of the union. This law vii am told by such financiers as Nil w. r. G. Harding. prove the greates Assistance that could be rendered i The handling, storage and financing c the cotton crop of Alabama.
 H, R. IA; ITO authorize the goyer nor to negotiate temporary loans t supply any deficiency in the stat treasury" I opposed the bill favore by the governor to submit to the peo pie proposition to so amend the con stitution as to authorize the issue c $1,600,O00 in per cent bonds for tn reason that I believed that with prop CT economies in the administration c the, state government and an equali zation of tax values, the floating deb of the state could be paid in about tw or three years. In furtherance of thi idea l drafted and procured the pass age of. by both hcsises. "An act to pro vide for the certification and recor of warrants drawn on the state treas nry." This act was vetoed by the gov ernor because, in his opinion, 1t wa unnecessary, yet nevertheless the fori provided in this act for the certifica tion of state warrants. which were UT paid for lack of funds, was substantial