The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-13

simply part compensation 10 the StdIe ! for taking away part of its assets. A | tax on cotton or corn would be tax on the products of the soil which suf- fers impairment or deterioration or | loss by reason of it's cultivation. There | Is a vast difference between these two | forms of taxation.
 T have heard some criticism about | alleged extravagance. It Is being said
 by some that the administration is spending and planning to spend too
 much money. The present programme
 was made four years ago. l would l like to ask if any office or other busi- | ness can be conducted today with the | same expenses that sufficed four years
 ago? Wages are higher, so are sal
 aries. supplies. stationery, and in fact,
 everything that Is required in an of- | flee or business.
 "A dollar paid into the state treas
 ury can go no further than a dollar will go in any other business. If we could run the state now on what we could four years ago it would result in ! an enormous economy. The dollar, in purchasing power. today is equivalent to about 50 or 50 cents four years ago.
 These changed conditions should be criticisms aimed at the administration
 on the ground that 1t Is planning to
 spend too much money.
 "The board of control and economy, which is Investigating conditions in the state. will enable the administra-
 tion to conduct the affairs of the state
 on an economical basis, thereaS, re- ducfng the expenses to the minimum" GOVERNOR IS CONFIDENT Governor Kilby speaks with conf.
 dence when discussing the revenue and taxation measure. He declares with emphasis that 1t will be passed by the
 legislature. Of that he antertains no
 doubt
 It is question whether the advo- cates of woman suffrage who have
 taken umbrage at his failure to get behind the movement to ratify tha Susan B. Anthony amendment will be able to muster up strength enough to defeat the bill. There are predictions that they will
 Should any considerable number of staunch administration adherents quit him on account of the suffrage amend I ment and join the mineral and timber interests and those opposed to the in- come and excess profits tax, 1t Is ex- ceedingly doubtful if Governor Kilby will get the taxation measure on the statute books. At any rate, 1t is go- ing to~ be bitter fight and the indi- cations are the result will hang in the balance until final action in the House at least
 Only few members of the legislature remained over in Montgomery today Both houses having adjourned Friday until Monday afternoon enabled them to go home for the week end where they can get in touch with their constituents
 and ascertain the sentiment of the peo-
 pie back home on the important meas
 ures now pending. What that sentiment
 is will probably be reflected by the members when they return to the capital the first of the coming week.
 Following the ooonvention of the Ala hama Highway Improvement association here on Thursday and Friday, interest was added to the movement for the crea- -tion of a state highway commission, the building of complete system of high ways and the issuance of s25, 0O0,0oo of bonds to pay for it. Sentiment in the legislature Is divided on this proposition The proposed constitutional amendment submitting the question of bond issue to the voters of the state from present indications, will be adopted by the legis- lature, but it will have no easy sailing. Opposition to it comes from all parts of the state, and the farming clements es- pecially are said to be opposed to a bond issue of that magnitude.
 A campaign to foster sentiment favor able to the highway programme will be
 started at once, it is understood, and it is the belief of those back of it that they can show the farmers and other
 opponents wherein they will gain more
 by having good roads than the amount of automobile license taxes diverted to the payment of interest on the bonds and
 the upkeep of the roads amounts to.
 Another measure that promises warm fight is that removing the convicts from