The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-19

legislature from other counties seeking
 to rally them in support of the amend-
 ments which you proposed to offer
 The changes which you and some of
 my other coleagu In the last legisla-
 ture strcngouously fought for in con
 nection with the commission bill were
 three First to increase the number
 of commissioners; second. to decrease
 their salaries. and third to amend the
 bill which which provided for the elec-
 titon of the first commissioners by the
 people of Birmingham so as to take
 this power away from the voters of
 this community and provide that the
 commissioners should he appointed by
 Governor Emmet O'Neal The in-
 crease in the number of commissioners
 and the decrease in their salaries
 seemed at that time of far Iess inn
 portance in your judgment than the
 amendment to take away from the
 people who elected you the right to
 name these commissioners and to con-
 fer that power upon the governor. I
 cannot forget that 1 was harassed in
 the last legislature with no more bit-
 ter fight than the fight you made to
 give to the governor of Alabama the
 power to name the first commissioners
 of the city of Birmingham Permit
 me to ask, my dear senator whether
 you were at that time acting in re-
 sponse to what you deemed to be the
 sound public sentiment of this com
 munity?
 ..I am not going to undertake to de- fend the referendum election on this sub ject which the board of commissioners of this city have undertaken to call Tt may be that they have acted in excess of their authority. It may be, as sug- gested by you and bv MT. Shapiro. that the commission in the proposed referen- dunn has not provided for the submission of all of the questions which the voters would like to pass upon. Whatever your views with reference to the proposed ref erendum may be, let me suggest, my deai senator. another way of ascertaining the sound public sentiment of this community to which you refer in your letter.
 "You have introduced in the state leg islature a bill which Is intended to make radical changes in the municipal gov ernment of the city of Birmingham. So far as I am aware. neither you nor any of your colleagues in the present legis- lature announced at any time during your candidacy your intention of supportins any such legislation as that now under consideration The voters of Birming ha m take a live and an active interest in the government under which they live. They should have had, or should have. in some way. the opportunity of expressing them StiNtS bI tit utsiTdDilllN Ol lHt DTODoStu legislation. You virtually state that you will not be bound by the referendum elec- ton which has been called. Let me ask you this question and request that you answer it in the same public way In which it Is asked: Are you willing. and are your colleagues willing. to insert in the bill changing our municipal form of gov ernment & provision that 1t shall not be- come effective until it has been passed upon at an election in this city to be held in such manner as may he prescribed in the bill? You criticise the opportunity which the commissioners of Birmingham, have sought to offer to the voters of Bir- mingham to express themselves on this subject. You have the power to ascer- tain what the real sentiment of the voters of this community Is before the proposed legislation becomes effective. Are you willing to exercise that power Very truly yours.
 WALKER PERCY"