The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-04
ENTIRE DAY SPENT BY THE HOUSE IN
 CONSIDERATION OF
 NEW LICENSE BILL
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tSonunueO rom Page One1
 ney lines. brought on the hottest fight of the day.
 Representative Shapiro of Jefferson
 county offered an amendment striking out
 that clause regulating jitneys other than
 to places routed on the cars. The bill re-
 quires that jitney cars shall describe the route over which such motor vehicle
 shall be operated, naming the terminals
 thereof, and requiring that such routes
 shall be plainly indicated on the motor vehicle in letters of sufficient size to be read at distance of % feet.
 In urging his amendment, Representa- tive Shapiro declared that the Birming-
 ham Railway. Light and Power company
 could not have written a more ingenious
 instrument for the removal of competl-
 ton. He declared that the provision re-
 quiring them not to operate over any other route than designated would have the tendency to drive them out of business
 and indicated that John R. Weakley was
 the father of that iniquitous provision.
 Several warm speeches were made on
 the subject of jitney regulation. Repre-
 sentatives Johnston of Madison, Tunstall
 of Halo and Hudson of Montgomery urged regulation of the 5-cent busses. The Shapiro amendment was finally tabled However, a similar amendment, except
 that 1t was not so inclusive was intro
 duced by Representative John of Dallas
 and was adopted. The John amendment provided that the owner or operator of
 jitney cars shall not be liable to the pen-
 alty of doing business without a license
 should he operate over any other line or
 route than that designated in the appli- cation for a license.
 Apportionment of Licenses Other subdivisions of section 1 were then adopted In rapid order. although an attempt was made by Representative Johnston of Madison to amend subdivision g of the section as to require that 75 per cent of the gross revenue derived from the sale of licenses shall be paid to the county in which the owner or li- censee resides; 15 per cent to the city and 10 per cent to the state The apportion-
 ment. as fixed by the committee, gives 70 per cent to the county, 40 per cent to the city and the remainder to the state
 The Johnston amendment was tabled Consideration of the bill was then had without much further delay. the license tax fixed in the bill against automobile adopted without debate. Other sub
 divisions of section l were adopted with out debate until subdivision 23 was reached, fixing an annual license against soft drink dealers
 Representative Morris of Dale made an attempt to fix a special tax on syrups and other ingredients used in soft drinks
 and Representative Shapiro offered an
 amendment to double the tax on caffein. but both amendments were lost. When the committee of the whole re- cessed for lunch at l o'clock g subdi- visions of section 1 of the bill had been | adopted. The various amendments adopted were immaterial most of the sections
 having been adopted as originally drawn. Much Progress Made | When the committee of the whole re- convened at o'clock this afternoon for further consideration of the license bin. | subdivision by subdivision of section was taken up and adopted in rapid succession. | Not until subdivision q was reached was their any debate.
 This provides that every express | company doing business wholly within | the state shall pay a license tax of l $5000.. An amendment was made to re- auce this tax to 5000. but was tabled. ! Representative Grayson of Madison | then offered an amendment requiring express companies to pay every coun- | ty in which they do business over five
 miles of track an annual license or privilege tax of $50. Representative | Johnston of Madison opposed his col- l league for the first time since the leg | islature convened and moved to table l lne dHlcuuI1cul oii tho 6AOuho th"t eaAS express companies are already heav- | fly taxed He elicited considerable | laughter among the members when he declared that If the prohibition mem | bers placed additional taxes on the ex- press companies they would find 1t | difficult to order their whisky. Subdivision 53 of the section called 1 forth the wrath of Col Sam Will John. This subdivision fixes tax of $6 a year on fortune tellers. palmists and clairvoyants.
 "Liars and Cheats"
 1 Colonel John declared that all for | tune tellers and palmlsts were liars
 and cheats" and offered to amend the
 bill by making the license tax $50 a year. The amendment was adopted. | Colonel John then introduced an | amendment taxing gipsies and this amendment was also adopted. l The license tax on hotels was next | taken up. The original bill provided | that all persons owing or operating ho-
 tels or lodging houses should pay an
 annual license of 50 cents for each
 bedroom used.
 l Several representatives from the smaller towns thought this tax was burdensome and an amendment by Rep resentative Judge of Shelby fixing this | tax at 25 cents per bedroom for all towns of 2000 population or less was adopted.