The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-01
HOUSE WILL SPEND
LITTLE TIME ON
NEW LICENSE BILL
Proposal Is Now Made to
Get Some Sort of Com
promise on Plan to Re-
move COnvicts From Mines


Montgomery, July 31-(Special)- Be
ginning Tuesday. the house will consider
the license bill prepared by the recess
committee on finance and taxation. and
the recess committee on judiciary; the
senate will consider the revenue bill with
which for week the other branch has
wrestled.
With the license bill, 1t is anticipated
that the house will spend very little
time. The Judiciary bills. however. are
10 numerous and so volumnous and SO
revolutionary in their effect that it is
the general prediction that before their
consideration is concluded much time will
have been consumed. In the work of
the senate, there is no question but that
the debate regarding the exemption
clauses of the revenue bill, and that sec
ton relating to the method of securing
members of the state board of equaliza-
tion will be the feature, even as the
debate on these subjects was the feature
of the house activity during the days just
gone.
While the above will be the big topics
of the sessions next week, in addition
there will be a multitudinous array of
lesser subjects. in each of which the
state will be more or less interested.
Exemption Clauses Endangered
The house, as is known, has COM
pleted its work on the revenue bill. The
committee was sustained by narrow
margin in It's plan to exempt for Pc
rtod of 10 years cotton mills, water power,
shipbuilding and other industrial plants
from taxation. and defeated in its eff
fort to deprive the governor of his right
to appoint members of the state equaliza
tion board. The exemption clauses will
be huffeted about TO an alarming de-
gree in the senate. and it would cause
little surprise were they to be destroyed.
In this connection, 1t is the general pre-
djction that in the event of their in-
dorsement by the senate, their friends
and advocates will be unable to muster
sufficient strength to keep them alive
when burdened by the weight of the
governors veto.
II 10 thought to be certain that the
senate will be in accord with the house
respecting lis action in giving to the gov
ernor the right to name the members of
the state toaio of equalization. It Is
understood, however, that Senator Lusk
will lead Il hopeless minority in an effort
to secure for the legislature the Power
to name or confirm the members. and
1t is believed to be true that the lobby
will return for the purpose of making
a final and desperate stand for the re-
covery of it's lost power mad glory of
the past.
May "Mill" the House
The solution of the judiciary bills will
II ~ owe such a herculean task that 1t Is
with reluctance that members prepare to
so into their vitals. The general i'm
pression is that the object of the bills
is good, but that their number and
length and intricacy of nature. necessi-
tating such assiduous study. may result
, in their defeat. Mr. Rogers of Sumter
expressed the fear last night that In con-
alteration of these bills the house will oe
'smiled" or led like stampeding cattle
in an endless circle until from sheer
exhaustion, it falls.
Against the work of the committee
which changes the boundaries of the
judicial circuits and in many instances
legislates officials out of office, and
reduces remuneration and eliminates
emoluments, there is an organized and
never sleeping opposition. The passage
of each of the measures will be vigor-
ously opposed. and 1t is believed tina.
before the work, even in part, Is law,
ii will have embodied numerous and
perhaps fatal amendments.
In this respect. it is reasonably cer-
tain that the report of the judiciary
committee will not be completed by the
house and senate and approved by the
governor prior to the conclusion of the
session
Lease System Entrenched
Other matters of general interest are
the effort of the recess committee on
investigation to secure the abolition
of the convict lease system, and the
plan of the lobby to secure another
recess session of the Legislature.
On account of the intense heat which
Montgomery is blessed, and the more
.or less ardent desire on the part of
Legislators to visit Montgomery in the
winter season, it is very probable that
adjournment will be taken as soon as
'big'' work is completed; it is very
Concluded ON Page Four)
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