The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-02
Developments at Barrett Meeting Stir All Sorts of Speculation on State
 Politics
.WEATHERLY ACTION
 AN ENIGMA AS TO
 HIS FUTURE CONDUCT
Public Utilities Promise to Loom Large Both in the City and State
 Campaigns

Political observers were busy yesterday drawing all kinds of conclusions from the Barrett meeting, held at the Jefferson theatre Fri day night.
 What does 1t all meant
 Is there more politics going on
 than seems apparent on the sur-
 faces
 What are James weatherly's
 plansf
 What does his resignation as
 city commissioner mean.
 Are some of the yelled political
 references made by the speakers
 Friday night to become big mat
 ters not only in Bfrmingham but in
 Aiabamaf M
 These and many |her questions were being asked and the man who can an- swer them will be a rare political prog nosticator indeed.
 -'ANSAAJ Se9eNANSu II oo C@hli Cillcly Si6Hlll- cant that the public utilities commis- sion of the state was mentioned by sev- eral of the speakers. Dr. Barrett him. self said there were a hundred towns and cities in Alabama which no longer have anything whateVer to say about their public utilities and how they shall be handled-tnat all such matters had been placed into the hands of the state pub lie service commission.
 INVERTEBRATES ACTION
 This fact taken together with the sen sational way in which MT. Weatherly threw himself into the Barrett campaign caused many to connect the events and to draw the deduction that the matter of public utilities will figure overshadow- ingly in Alabama politics for sometime to come.
 One of the most conspicuous single public utility organizations in the state is the Alabama Power company. This company was given considerable promi- .nence at Friday nights meeting
 Is MT. Weatherly to be coupled up with light on this corporation and if so what direction will his efforts make? There have been rumors that he would run for Congress-, tor governor and for the United States Senate. Mr. Wealth erly has apparently taken no one into his confidence in the matter. Indeed he insists that he simply wants to resume the private practice of law. But there were those who felt that at the proper time he would be found to be a candi- date for the state senate from Jeffer- son county. They base this belief on the fact that he has been so persistent in his assertions that Birmingham is greatly handicapped in her activities by certain state laws and that the only way to get this situation remedied is through the state legislature. His friends claim that he is consistent in wishing to go where he can do the most good for his home city and argue that the best place for con- structive work along this line at this time is in the state legislative branch.
 OUTLOOK FOR CITY
 As for the city campaign there was a feeling yesterday that the city is about to be plunged into a campaign such as it has not seen in many years. Just what the issues will be has not been fully de- veloped, but in spite of the claims of all the candidates that they want to avoid personalities there was a feeling that be- fore the campaign progresses much fur ther there will be a general calling of plenty to talk and think about.
 Chairman Shelby Friday night ir ris in :. troduction of Dr. Barrett said thar the present campaign would establish In Err city hall tho "Golden Rule instead of the rule of Gold" Dr. Barrst. said the citys affairs were to be sd- ministered for the ordinary many IT, stead of the extraordinary few.'
 Just how all this should be interpreted no one can say. But tho prediction Is general that Birmingham is in for a l;-e.