The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-02
Twenty Senators Assure Governor of Support In Passing Revenue Bills At This Session.
MANY FINANCIAL RELIEF PLANS HAVE
 BEEN SUBMITTED
Governor Looking for Prac- tical Remedies for Situa- ti0n-To Insist On Action Before Adjourning.
By HUGH W. ROBERTS


 Montgomery, February 1.-(Spe- cial. )-Twenty senators have assured Governor Henderson that they will oppose an adjournment of the legis- laturc until an adequate revenue
 measure has been passed, according to
 statement made tonight by the chief
 executive to The Age-Herald corre- spohdent. The expressed opposition to adjourn ment by majority of the memb bership of the senate is the result of the gov ernor's urgent personal appeal, in the presence of the two legislative bodies that they remain in session until a definite financial programme has been arranged.
 This assurance on the part of a ma- Jority of the senate would indicate that the legislature. while at first op- posed to the chief executive, Is now determined to aid him in carrying out a programme looking to the financial relief of the state The majority of the house. it Is understood. favors ad- Journment on the twentieth day, but they are powerless without the consent of senate majority. Therefore, if an adequate revenue and financial measure has not been passed by the day set for adjournment. the senate will insist that the legislature remain in session--cer- tainly that no adjournment be had l flor g longer period than three days according to the pledges made the governor by 20 members of that leg l islatiye body.
 Plans Suggested
 Various and sundry plans have been suggested to the governor looking to the relief of the financial situation. but none of them has appealed to the gov | ernor as practicable. For example, it \ has been suggested to the chief exec utive that the legislature re-enact the 1 general appropriation bill of 1911, for, an indicated In todays Age Herald. the current appropriations under the pro- visions of that bill woll automatically cease on March l.
 Governor Henderson, however, is op- posed to the re-enactment of the old appropriation measure. This he tokd The Age-Herald correspondent tonight. He believes the legislature should en- act a new bill. Moreover, he believes | it should not be done until the entire | financial situation has been ascersained | by the members of the two legislative ! bodies ana until proposition has been \ made to meet such appropriations. As \ is we'll known, the present provisions
 for such appropriations are woofuliy \ inadequate.
 ! Another plan that has been suggested ! to the governor provides that the state M shall issue warrants as was done in the Il former administration, and have them ] handled by large Baltimore bank which \ has agreed to hold these warrants at 6 ger cent interest. As matter of fact, ! certain of the majority leaders have aI- ! ready made such arrangements with the II Baltimore bank in anticipation of the | governors consent to the plan Provision has been made for this bank to take care ! of $500,000 worth of state warrants, which X amount, with the S300,000 which the leg 4 islature has authorized the executive to \ borrow, will be ample to meet all needs l of the state treasury until the legislature \ meets again in July, when the 'serious 1 question of providing revenues will be \ taken under consideration.
 IAau ALSO opposed
 This plan is also opposed by the gov l ernor. He does not believe that the leg : \ islature should follow the precedent, es- Y tablisbed in the former administration, of K handling the states finances in this mani Finer, particularly when no provision has X been made for the large deficit which is | daily accommodating, and, consequently he ! will not give his consent to this proposal. Governor Henderson is likely to win his fight. The first effort made by. the sen
 ate majority. which promised to oppose gramne has been arranged, was evi- denced today when Senator Weathers of 8 Randolph county introduced joint sen- | ate and house resolution not to adjourn 4 rntil a revenue bill has been passed. The \ resol ution was opposed for immediate pas I eage by Senator Lusk, and was conse- | 4lently referred to the rules committee But this was considered the beginning
 of the fight. The 20 members of the sen ate who have given tho governor assur-
 ance to oppose adjournment are expected
 to remain true to their pledge. and ad- journJnent may not be had before the | twenty-fifth or thirtieth day, unless the
 members of the two houses shall arrange
 10 pass revenue measure before the
 twentieth day. In view of the governors s
 stand it is now likely that the two houses
 will at once combine efforts and attempt
 to carry out such d programme. Hut 1t is
 not likiely that. they will succeed before
 the twentieth day.