The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-29
Is Understood Patched-Up Legislative Support of Five-C Commissioner Bill
 Has Fallen Apart
PROHIBITION PARTY
 SAID TO BE BEHIND
 SENATOR FITE'S BILL
Judge Says He Has Not Been In- formed of Any Change In Plans. S0lons Said to Have Selected
 Men to Compose Board

Political circles were animated yes terday by a report to the effect that the patched-up legislative support of the fve-commissioner bill had dropped apart and that instead of that .meas- ure the people of Birmingham probN ably in August would be given an op- portunity to adopt the general man. ager form, of government
 Thomas J. Judge. who represents Jefferson county in the senate, and who is one of the authors of the five-com missioner bill, declared last night that he had not been informed if his CO., laborers in the Legislative vineyard had abandoned his standard. When in formed that according to. the rumor 1t was the intention of the prohibition total defeat, to put through the Fite general manager" bill. Senator Judge replied that he would not oppose in the senate the passage of that bill.
 q would be willing to permit the people he added, ito vote on all forms of municipal government which might suggest themselves. When the refer endum is called it would be well to submit everything to the people in or der that they might select that plan bich most pleasingly appeals to them"
 Provides for Board
 The Fite bill, as has heretofore been published in The Age Herald. provides for the appointment or election of a legislative body consisting of four or five members whose duty it shall be to elect a general manager from any part of the United States they desire and to enact laws for the guidance of the general manager. It shall be the duty of the general manager to put the laws thus enacted into execution. The bill provides that the legisla- tors who would correspond to the old aldermen. shall be paid only nominal sum for attendance at meetings. and that the salary of the general manager shall be either $1o,ooO or s12ooo. It is said to be the purpose of the legislature not only to pass the Fite bill, but as far as Birmingham is con- cerned. to elect the legislative or gov crning body. It is reported that the lobby has already agreed upon its candidates. That part of the pro gramme. however, It Is learned. is not entirely pleasing to number of thosc who are interested, and because of the probability that the people would resent the legislature discharging their function of naming their governors it might be abandoned.
 Why Prohibitionists Acted
 As result of the curtailed cam paign for and against the five -commis- sioner bill which featured several weeks of the current month. it was demonstrated very eonclusively it is agreed that other than those greedy for political office and power, few fla vored increasing the number of com p,issioners, and many favored the re- duction of the present number-that is, favored the general manager plan.
 The evident leaning of the people toward the general manager plan is given as one reason why the prohibi- ton lobby determined to get behind the -Fite bill. As has been pointed out, only three members of the delegation are heartily In favor of increasing the number of commissioners. Two of those who promised under certain conditions to support the fiye-commis- sioner bill, favor the general manager plan and it is believed that with the latter the two remaining members s agree
 It is believed that the local delega- ton will in the near future consult on the various plans suKReat0d for the government of Birmingham, and that in the end it will be agreed to sub init in the referendum, informally scheduled for August, the bill under which the present form was created, the five-commiss ssioner bill and the Fite general manager bill. It is believed, however, that the passage of the Fite bill is a practical certainty.
 Underwood to Gadsden
 Senator Oscar Underwood left yesterday