The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-28
SPIRITED DEBATE IN HOUSE YESTERDAY
 ON TAX EXEMPTION
 OF POWER PLANTS
Continued from Page One)

The house organized itself as commit tee of the whole shortly after assembling. Several efforts were made to postpone consideration of the bill, but such attempts were promptly defeated.
 | The house will meet tomorrow in caucus to complete consideration of the bill, thus | saving legislative day Before ad- | iourning today the committee of the whole had passed upon IS sections of the bill. them"
 The r.al fight .n the exemption clauses began when Col Sam Will John of Dallas offered an amendment to strike out section of the bill pro- viding for the exemption from taxation for a period of 10 years of cotton mills and factories. Previously the committee of the whole had adopted without de- bate section of the bill relating to the definition of terms.
 | The John amendment, while relating specifically to cotton mill exemption, brought on a debate covering the en- | tire scope of the proposed exemptions of corporations, and precipitated the debate on the question of exemptin g | the Alabama Power company and other | lhydroelectric power plants from tax ation.
 q warn you that if you pass these exemptions there will not be another prohibition legislature to meet in these halls in many years" shouted the Dal- las representative.
 His words were heard throughout the entire hall and immediately hush of surprise fell upon the members. At the first session of the legislature 1t had been charged that the prohibition fac tion of the legislature had formed a coalition with the water power and other corporate interests. but nothing E as significant had been said in refer ence to that report as the utterance of Colonel John.
 Attacks Water Power Lobby What is this big water power lobby doing here?" Colonel John asked, con tinuing his remarks. "I will tell you They are here to rake the chestnuts out of the fire. If you are democrats l l call upon you to assert your demOc- racy Don't barter your rights | Colonel John continued his speech in this manner, and drew frequent ap- plause from the opponents of the meas ! ure.
 1 He was followed by Representativ e Sanders of Pike, who offered sub | stitute to the John amendment pro- viding for the exemption from taxation of homesteads of sbO00 in value or l less.
 Representative Grady of Chambers was | the next speaker. He urged the passage of the exemption clause, declaring that a | large number of cotton mills of Georgia
 had located in Alabama because they were not required to pay taxation.
 Following the remarks of Mir. Grady, Representative Judge of Shelby delivered an impassioned appeal for what he de- clared to be the peoples rights" We will never return here as prohibi- tionists," declared Representative Judge,
 If we give these great corporations these ] exemptions"
 The Shelby county representative charged that the majority of the lawyers of the house and senate were employed | to represent the Alabama Power com
 pany and other big corporations. He re-
 ferred to the lobby of the power company
 that had come to Montgomery in the in
 terest of the bill.~and declared that the prohibitionists could never hope again to
 return to Montgomery as legislators Il
 they granted these special privileges. we have been carried snipe hunting | by the prohibitionists. he concluded
 amidst resounding applause. l Representative Grayson of Mobile urged
 the retention of the exemption clauses passing his argument principally upon tha,
 section relating to shipbuildins plants
 He said that New Orleans had offered q l shipbuilding plant 20 years exemption l from taxation if 1t would locate in that
 city, whereas opposition was being ex' pressed to exempting proposed ship building plant, about to locate in Mobile from taxation for a period of 10 years.
 Others who spoke in favor of the ex
 emption feature of the bill were: Ed D
 Johnston of Madison, Representative Grayson of Madison, Representative Bealle of Tuscaloosa, Representative
 White of Franklin and Representative Blount of Washington.
 Bradshaw Urges Exemption
 The foremost champion on the side
 of corporation exemptions at the morn ing session was Representative Brad
 shaw of Lauderdale. whose speech wal