The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-12
USING OBSTRUCTIVE TACTICS ID DELAY IMPORTANT BILLS Shapiro Calls Attention to Critical Status of Impor- tant Local Measures URGES PEOPLE TO
 INSIST ON ACTION Tells Why He Will Oppose the Five Commissioner Bill-Status of
 Waterworks and Tele-
 phone Measures

Representative Shapiro returned yester- day from Montgomery and wrote for The Age-Herald a. statement regarding the status of important measures affecting Birmingham and Jefferson county still pending in the legislature.
 MT. Shapiro calls especial attention to some of these measures and says they are so important that the people should lose no time in insisting upon their pas sage. His review of the situation Is AS follows:.
 .'The end of the legislative session ia nearing. Several bills of profound sig nificance to Birmingham and Jefferson county remain unenacted. As one of the that I should convey to them my opinion as to the exact status of these bills.
 Waterworks Condemnation Bill
 "The condemnation bill passed the sen- ate last February. It went to the com. mittee on municipal organization in tht house. of which MT. Scott is chairman Mir Weakley is the only other Jefferson county member on the committed Ths bill was first adversed. but on my mo ton was .recommitted to the committee after strenuous struggle with MT Weakley, who protested against such 2 move. The bill slept in committee fo, nearly a month. It had to be dynamitet out. MT. Scott refused to call a meet ing. I secured the petition of a ma jority of the members of the commit tee requesting a meeting. He still de clined to call one. On last Wednesda, I secured another petition requesting MT Scott to call meeting for that day a 2:30 He reluctantly did so. Eleven mem bers were present. MT Weakley sent wor, sired postponement of action. MT. Scot wished to indulge in the postponement One member of the committee stated tha 1t was his opinion that MT. Weakley wal staying away purposely to prevent actioI on the bill. When the vote was takei MT. Scott was the only member who vot ed against the bill. Birmingham, then was rescued by non-Jefferson count. members.
 
 MT. Scotts sworn duty to report tn bill to the house Wednesday afternoon This he refused to do, although l re quested him to do so. He left for Sir mingham on Thursday morning and ha not yet returned to Montgomery; neithe has he reported the bill. Several legis lative days have been lost on accoun of this deliberate, unnecessary and whol ly unprecedented delay. Such premedi tated proscratinating tactics on the par of a chairman have never yet been re sorted to by any other member of thi legislature. so far as I know.
 ''Messrs. Weakley. Scott and Copelan' are opposed to the bill. The rest of tn delegation are for it. I believe that tn chances for its passage are exceedingl. good, provided the bill can be gotten UT It may be that Mir. Weakley will resor to obstructive methods in preventing 1t being called up.
 Telephone Bill
 For several years the right of tho cit, to regulate telephone companies an charges for, and character of. telephon service, has been sought. This power wa granted in the omnibus bill, the provision of which are now the law.
 "On last Wednesday a bill passed tn house empowering the railroad commis sion to regulate telephone and telegraph rates. Should this bill become a law will absolutely oust the city's right t regulate telephone rates or service 0 have anything to do herewith. I at tempted to secure an amendment exclud ing Birmingham from the operation o the bill. but was overwhelmingly defeat ed. MT. Welch spoke against the amend ment, and he was supported by othe members of the Jefferson delegation. A. though Messrs. Tarrant and Hogan vote for the amendment, none of the delega ton but myself spoke in its favor.
 Senator Judge wil, seek to secure .hi amendment in the senate. If he fails, th city's right to have anything to do witt the telephone situation will be transferre, to Montgomery. The regulation will b removed from the people. The bill is direct contravention of home rule. Tn people of Birmingham should do every thing they can to have Birmingham ex cepted.
 Five Commissioners Bill
 "The fve-commissioner bill. which ha passed the senate. is still on the hous calendar. MT. Weakley tells me he ex poets to call 1t up as soon as he can. While I am somewhat committed t vote to submit the fve-commissioner bi to the people, I have decided to fight 1 in it's present form.
 The bill provides that on October Il VI are to vote not only on the question o whether or not we shall have five cor, miss!oners. but also for the men to Al the offices. We are put in a position o voting for candidates for offices "ficl do not and may not exist. Candidates vii be seeking offices which have not beer