The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-02
WHAT OF NEXT SESSION?

WHAT OF NEXT SESSION?
 What sensations will the next session ! of the legislature in July bring to the state? That question Is being asked be- cause of the rather exciting few days Tn | January, when the lawmakers came Tn
 and without warning enacted law that
 made the state bone dry The voters sent their representatives to the capitoi ! to enact a measure that would add the states name to the prohibition amend ment column but the bone-dry bill came as the big surprise of the first session.
 There were few "kickers," however, De- cause the 1919 legislature is made up Of prohibitionists from the governor on down the line.
 1 Another question asked about the July
 session of the legislature is;
 "Who are the leaders and has the legis-
 lsture developed any orators?" 1 All legislatures have their orators and | their leaders, but few legislatures are 1 as peculiarly made up of leaders as Is 1 Alabama's legislature There are mi- nority leaders and majority leaders In the | 1919 legislature, but this time the ma
 jcrity claims to have snatched away seV- eral leaders from the small minority that ' came to Mont gomcry pledged to speak | and vote against everything that looked like prohibition amendments, and Kin i dred matters.
 It is true that the minority is mourning I the loss of strong leaders because those minority leaders came to Montgomery lnder a promise to vote against the amendment and then to go to work on progressive and administration measures The vote that placed Alabama Tn the lnrohibition amendment column had hardly heen counted before Senator John Craft of the so-called wet county of Mooile was preaching harmony in the senate "I, cts get down to business: the pronlnl- ton amendment resolution has been adopted" said the Mobile senator to ms friends. From that time on senator Craft. his friends observed. supported the administration measures Ofttimes ne trade speeches for administration meas ures He was found fighting for the workmen's compensation bill until so many amendments had been added that he feared "the author would not recog- nize it as his bill" Then he voted TOT postponement. .yVhat good will come from harassing the administration" asker Senator Cra1t' when newspaper men questioned nm re gardine his strong speeches for the ad- n,inistration He said fights against the administration bills, just because they hapnened to be o. K.'d by the governor. would cause unnecessary friction, would result in a waste of time-
 FRIENDLY TO MOBILE MAN Tn the house of representatives Speaker Merritt scores of times paid high honors l to Daniel B. Cobbs of Mobile. MT Cobbs acted as sneaker of the house many times during the absence of the speaker Anx- | ious to show his appreciation or support' Speaker Merritt named the Mobile rep resentative on the recess Judiciary com mittee. one of the most important com trrirr V- eral months recess. MT. Cobbs spon- sored the administration bill which gives authority to the governor to name suc- cessor to a United States senator rom Alabama when vacancy occurs.
 T Lee Long of Butler, who years ago would have been conspicuous figure on the majority side, still clings to his idea of saving money for the state. He IS found at all times questioning the right | of inc lawmakers to enact laws that will further burden the taxpayers of the state Notwithstanding the fact he is now very coy yspicuous on the "small minority side, he is one of the most interesting figures | in the house when important measures come up.
 st Clair county is watching their sem ator, Watt Brown of Ragland, who mas long been familiar with Alabama iegls'a- tures MT. Brown has been. found fight ing for vocational education many years and when the administration measure providing for vocational education was erac cted he was one of the happiest men | in the state. ,- When the legislature convenes in July l if is probable the administration VII give it's approval of a bill relating to the convicts working in the mines. The first session found large coal mining interests lobbying against all bills that would have taken the prisoners from the coal mines Many representatives believe that the state can make and save money from the work of convicts just as easily as can | the coal operators