The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-20

was 75 cents. Nearly all goods are selling for $7 gallon, more than dou- ble the price of last year. Never be- fore regarded as luxury, John Bar leycorn has reached a pinnacle of ex- pensiveness and a degree of exclu- siveness regarded in some circles as appalling.
 Allow No Return
 of Fee System
 THE grand jury of Jefferson coun-
 4 ty in it's final report, makes a suggestion of vital concern, which, if carried out, would avoid complications arising from two sets of constables operating from different divisions of the municipal court and avoid, too, the necessity of having solicitors in more than one division of the same court.
 As the grand jury points out, this court was established to remedy the evils of the old justice of the peace courts and their attendant fee bur dens," but with constables competing with each other the 'habits of long ago are coming to the surface again, due essentially to the fee system"
 It is the last gasp of the old evil, but unless steps are taken to remedy this recurring condition, Eve will be continually burdened with the trouble our people were suffering from "when the municipal court was created"
 The legislative act is plain enough. It provides that the "court make any and all necessary rules for the filing and trying of cases and for the dis tribution of the work of the court" and it shall, as far as possible, "des- ignate one division for the trial of criminal cases, and designate one of it's number to preside over said di- vision."
 The grand jury recommends that +ba .,,Jroe oope+i+,,+;roe +ba oo,,rt 1roE together and agree upon compliance with the statute. Only by such com pliance can the fee system be expected to reach the vanishing point.
 # $. !:
 Pressing Need For
 Grain Elevators
 TITO get the best economic results
 4 from crop diversification, Ala bama should be well supplied with small grain elevators. Georgia has Alabama has two in course of construction, but there is a demand for score or more.
 Elevators of the type needed with shelters attached, can be built for $35, ,000 or $4O,O00, even now when the cost of everything is abnormal.
 Every county or neighborhood that raises more than home-feeding calls for should have an elevator, in order to save the surplus and give the farm CT the advantage of top prices.
 The government discourages all construction not essential for war pur- poses, but the elevator ranks san es- sential next to food production itself. Few investments would yield more reasonable dividends.
 The Birmingham food preparedness and marketing bureau, which accom- plished much last year in pushing the diversification movement, will perform service of inest:mable value if it directs its activities to the elevator enterprise. A campaign of education may be needed to induce men with cap- ital to organize elevator companies, and as the food preparedness bureau is especially fitted for this work, there is hope that it will seize the opportunity now offered.
 Fifteen or twenty elevators in Ala bama would promote in large degree not only the thrift of the individual farmer who raises food to sell, but they would add immensely to the wealth of the state
 Now that crop diversification has a permanent hold on Alabama, let's have an elevator movement as its natural complement.
 Men Over Draft Age
 to Guard Utilities
 7THE war departments call for
 J 15,0O0 men over draft age to enlist in the United States guards of the national army, for service in pro-