The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
MANY PHASES OF
 COMMISSION BILL
 ACCUSING INTEREST
Bill Would Reduce Salaries of Commissioners, Length en Wards Term and
 Make Other Changes

A feature of the five-commissioner bill now pending in the state legis- Iature which is arousing interest of many Birmingham citizens. according to popular report, is that which will provide that everyone of the five com misioners will be elected at the same time after the bill once gets into oper- ation, the interval between municipal elections then to be four years.
 The bill is so arranged that the terms of all five commissioners will expire in October, 1917, at which time their five successors will be elected at the same election with no further municipal election for another four years. Those inclined to favor thls change in the city government are cit izens who claim that the present com mission act keeps the city government in constant "open season" for poli- tics in that there is a commissioner elected every year.
 Details of Bill
 Details of the bill, copies of which have been received in Birmingham show that municipal elections shall be nelQ Ine 1lTSL MOHudy III fAu5uStt thoe the term of the commissioner elected in 1913 George Ward), shall expire in October, 1917; that the term of the
 commissioner elected in 1914 (Mr
 weatherly), shall expire in, October 1917; that the term of the commits
 sioner appointed GA. o. Lane), shall ex- pire in October. 1915; that three com nissioners shall be elected in August,
 1915, whose terms shall expire In Oc-
 tober, 1917, and that in August 1917 five commissioners shall be elected as
 successors to those whose terms will expire the following October.
 The salary of the president Of the commission George Ward) will pe cut from $7OoO to s5O00 per annum; the salaries of the associate commission CTS (weatherly and Lane) will be cut from s7O0o to s4000 per annum and the salaries of the three associate com missioners to be elected in August will be $4000.
 The salaries of department heads are limited to $3600 per annum. Those being affected by this will include City Engneer Julian Kendrick, Comptroller Charles Ab- bolt. Superintendent of Schools Dr. J. H. Phillips, all of whom now receive sal aries of s5000. It is generally considered all three of these men would resign their positions if their salaries are cut to $3600 although they make no statements what ever in the matter.
 f Popular sentiment in Birmingham is H general that the bill will pass the legis- r lature without serious opposition, all 1 though there is more or less opposition \ to it among the people of Birmingham. Extend Wards Term The bill, as will be seen. will extend 8 the present term of George Ward Il f months will decrease the present term $ of James Weatherly one month, and will decrease the present term of A. O. Lane one month.
 Probably the foremost commissioners ship boom for either one of the three to Il be elected in August if the bill is adopted, or as a successor to Judge A. O. Lane in r November if the bill is not adopted, is that of H. Scudder Ryall, present secre- tary of the board. No candidates have en- tered the field yet, of course, but MT Ryalrs friends state there is no doubt but what he will be either one of the three men elected in August or the suc- cessor to Judge Lane in November, as the case may be.