The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-26
WHAT THE LEGISLATURE
 HAS AND HAS NOT DONE
tContinued from Page One,

word of state examiners is to be taken into account. Probe Committee Loses Convict Fight Ihe committee on investigation fared no more successfully in carry ing out the programme than either of the other committees. It recon mended and secured the passage of several bills of minor importance which tend to regulate routine in the various departments. It is given credit Tor having discovered shortages, al- legged to exist, in the department of ag- riculture, and having secured the in- uictment of c. H. Billingsley, Lee Cow art, former immigration commissioner, ana John C. Cheney. That as a re- suit of the governors intended in- Vestlgation, the foregoing shortag ss, alleged to exist would have been 1ound, Is considered highly probable. The chief fruit of the Investigating committees summer labor is to be round in the fact that it's existence may tend to cause clerks, tempted, to hesitate
 The master work of the investi- sating committee. however, con- sisted in its recommendation that the legislature force the state to abandon its convict contract or lease system. The chairman of the committee, MT. Merritt of Macon, with the assistance of Mir. Davis Of Walker, and Speaker Car michael. put through the house a compromise measure which pro-
 vided for a gradual elimination of the lease system. These gentle men. however, were powerless in the senate, and their measure when put to the test was, by
 large vote, indefinitely postponed. And thus the constructive effort of the Investigating committee went for naught. and it's members must be content with whatever satis- faction they might find in the Knowledge that they expressed their opinion very freely and very candidly of all their political and personal enemies
 What the Legislature Accomplished The legislature was in session 11s days, expended s150,000, and constd- cred 2579 bills. Its principle accom- plishments follow:
 It created a system of taxation based on the Georgia or equalfxn- ton theory with the provision that property shall be assessed once in four years.
 It consolidated the courts of tho state in n system of circuit courts. declared for the expedition of jus- tice, and achieved net annual saving of less than s5OOO.
 It revised congregational districts of tho state.
 It enacted primary election laws eliminating. by permitting individuals to express second choice, the necessity of "run-oHn or majority elections.
 It abolished the department of immigration, the bureau of cotton statistics, md amaIgamated the land department with the auditors office.
 It arranged to submit an amend- ment to the constitution which would permit the state to issue bonds fin the sum of $1 .50O,OOO.
 It arranged to submit an amend- ment permitting n majority of the members of the legislature to call m extraordinary session without the sanction of the governor, and providing for biennial rather than quadriennial sessions of the leg tslature.
 It provided for the submission of nm amendment by means of which each county might tax itself for educational purposes.
 It instituted compulsory educa- tion.
 It created n department of insur- ance. Nt
 It adopted child labor laws sat- isfactOry to employers of child Ia- bOr, and failed to provide fnspec- tors for the purpose of enforcing thu laws and making them effec- tive.
 It created of the railroad com mission q public utility commission with supervision md jurisdiction over all public utility corpora ticns.
 1t enacted statewide prohibition laws, with which the authors of the bills displayed their dissatis- faction in futile efforts to amend or supplement them by new legis- 1atiOn.
 It furnished the governor with funds with which to pay interest on borrowed money.
 It enaSted uniform warehouse receipt HIl which might render null md void all landlord liens.
 1t created trunk system of highways.
 It abolished the office of county treasurer in all counties having less than 50.0OO population.
 What Legislature Failed to Do Some of the measures considered by the legislature without favorable &C., ton follow: