The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-29

and directing the speaker not to sign voucher for the pay of such absentees.
 Representative Ross succeeded in pass ing in the house today his bill authoriz- ing the city of Bessemer to pay it's mayor a salary not to exceed thirty-six hundred dollars year The present salary limit is twenty-four hundred.
 Mir. Ross stated in urging the passage of the bAl that by permitting the city council to increase the salary first-class business man can be induced to accept the office of mayor but that with twenty-four hundred dollar limit this much-desired end cannot be obtained. The bill passed without dissenting vote.
 Representative Densby of Choctaw county introduced a bill in the house today looking to the annexation of all that part of Florida awest of the Apala- chicola river to Alabama. Under the terms of the bill the governor is au- thorized to appoint a commission of three members to take the matter up with the governor of Florida and re- quest him to transmit to the legislature of that state, which convenes next April, the proposal for annexation
 
 to annex comprises nine counties lying west of a line described as beginning at the Georgia line at the Apalachi- cola river and running to the western boundary of Franklin county Florida then following the present county line between the counties of Calhoun and Franklin or along a line to be deter mined by the commissioners represent ing the two states. These counties according to the 1910 census had a population of about 150,0 The prin- cipal city is Pensacola which in 1910 had 22,910 inhabitants. Two of the best harbors on the gulf coast are To- cated in this section of the state, Pen- sacola and St. Andrews Bay. The bill, which was referred to the committee on privileges and e1ctions. provides for the appointment of a commission to act with a similar commission repre- senting the state of Florida with in- structions to report to the governor, who shall transmit the report to the next session of the legislature or to any special session held in the mean time. The. compensation of the com missioners will be ten dollars day, and expenses.
 Promises made by candidates while running for office in Alabama will be lived up to in the future if the bill in- troduced in the house today by Repre- sentative J. Lee Long is enacted into law. Under the terms of his bill any officer who fails to fulfill his election promises is guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable as such. The text of the bill reads:
 That any office-holder in this state who knowingly and wilfully fails and refuses to carry out his prediction promises and pledges shall be guilty of q cd nd -f,4ip rI,o be fined not more than $500, or sentenced to the county jail for not more than F months one or both, at the discretion of the jury"
 The bill was given one reading in the house and referred to the committee on privileges and elections.
 What I believe to be the first of a series of appropriation bills sure to follow enactment of the revenue bi.l by the Alabama legislature was intro duced in the senate Monday by Sem ator Evins. The senate is not expected to take action on the bills until some disposition has been made of the reve- nue bill, which will come up before a committee of the whole house for dis cussion on Tuesday morning at 93o o'clock.
 One bill of Senator Evins would ia- crease the salaries of the judges of the circuit court of appeals of Ala bama and the supreme court from 5000 to $7500, and another would in- crease salaries of circuit judges from $S000 to $5000.
 In the senate MT. Craft introduced a bill which prescribes the qualifiCa- tions, duties and compensa tion of the coroners and their assistants. The bill will make 1t violation for any per son to remove the body of a person whose death Is caused by violence be- fore an inquest by the coroner.
 Senator Rogers introduced bill to provide for better sanitary conditions in hotels, inns, rooming houses. reg taurants, cafes, dining rooms, etc. In- spection of these places is required of the state board of health under the Rogers measure.
 For the fourth time during the July session the bill of Senator Brown which if enacted will abolish the var;- ous county boards of equalization. was postponed Monday. Senator Hudd,e- ston made speech against postpone ment, during which he referred to the creation of the state board of contro, and economy as unnecessary and that 1t provided jobs for persons at a large salary.