The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-11
New Names Are Added Dur ing Week to List of Known Candidates for State Or flee, Among Them Being Abercrombie, Cooper and GailIard
By FRED H. GORMLEY Montgomery Bureau, The Age-Herald s21-2 First \ NAtional Bank Building

| NAe~A-t Dhpb oIdNSos ICi SHdiA
 of the state democratic executive
 committee and commanding officer | of the Alabama cavalry regiment | Uater the one hundred and seven
 teenth field artillery) in the war, 1 furnished the interest for Alabama
 politicians during the week. Colonel Graves delivered the address at the
 annual celebration of Labor Day in
 Montgomery. He didn't exactly an-
 uounce for governor in opposition to
 those who heard the speech said he
 talked mighty like a candidate. After the address Colonel Graves was asked if it might be construed
 as an announcement He indicated 1 that every person may reach his oa n | conclusion. Colonel Graves attacked
 the state government as now organ ized and insisted that there was room l for a general cleanup. He said tre capitol now is like a great plunder room. that the time had come for a 1 sweep out and general renovation.
 He generalized, but did not. partic- l ularize. He said several bureaus | boards and settees' should be ahol-
 ished and there should be general l trimming down in expenses.
 | Ask Specific Data
 | Alabama newspapers were quicn 70 pick up the address for editorial l comment and more than one called upon Colonel Graves to say just wherein changes should be made and | expenses of government cut l It must be said that the speech at tracted attention. favorable in some | quarters and unfavorable in others. | Colonel Graves not only said there was too much expense in operating the state government, but he said l the counties and cities also were tax | ing too much iron: the taxpayers | for general expenses. This was an 1 excellent political morsei for those who had carried views along the l sar1e fine. but the hundreds who have | been connected with the state, coun- l ties and cities and who have com 1 tended all along that the cost ot l government was not too great when | it is considered that much of 1t has | gone into permanent improvements | such as roads and street construction contend that the application or tnis | principle would cause the retardatlo l of progress in all political units of | government.
 | More Interest in Campaign | Great interest is being manifested | now by those who expect to be Tn the state campaign which will open after January 1. In addition to those already in the race and those who have made up their minds to become
 candidates at the proper time, new names were added during the week. | Dr. John W. Abercrombie, state | superintendent of education, will be | f1, f,tIl He is | completing the unexpired term ok l Spright Dowefl, who resigned to be- come president of the Alabama Poly 1 technic institute. It is improbable that pr. Abercrombie will have op- position because of the great accom- plishments of the state department of education since the new school code became effective and because or [ the policy of educators in Alabama never to become involved in per sonal political contests on matters | involving education.
 | Alabama's school system has at tracted attention throughout the United States in recent months and
 there is no indication that any great number of persons desire any change | in the personnel or in the system now in use
 Cooper and GailIard
 R. H. Cooper of Birmingham and ! 6 p. Gillard are expected to be can didates for members of the public | service commission. They are now completing their second terms Few persons out of the capitol know It, but the public service commission l in recent months has done more work than any other department or board Hundreds of cases have been han d1ed. many of them being of per sonal interest to every person in the state.
 The commission has gone into the
 courts, with the aid of Harwell G' Davis, attorney general, in an eftort to protect It's orders prohibiting the railroads from collecting a sur charge on Pullman tickets fntra- state and prohibiting the western
 Union Telegraph company rom abandonang permanently It's tsie rraph services to al towns on the branch lines of the LouisVfiie anu
 Nashville railroad.
 Ir edition to the work as mem
 hsrs of the public service commission much time has been devoted to tne Enforcement of the blue sky law, the uublic service commissioners peine
 ey.officio members of the state se- curities commission.
 Great Extension Made In order that a close supervision nav be exercised over all corpora tions and public utilities under the
 jurisdiction of the public service
 commission and securities commis-
 sion. great extensions have been
 made in the department. The com
 missioners have corps or auoitors
 aubiect to call at all times and in-
 stead of taking tn ework of audit
 or. emuloyed by the companies. the
 atate Is now receiving reports from its own examiners. In . great ma
 iority of the investigations, the cost
 Ia heinz paid by the companles
 through the public service or securi- ties commission retains the right to nank the auditors and examiners.
 Many reports of opposition to the ssscciete commissioners have been received during the past few days though no person has authorized the
 abatement that he will be in the race
 VIII Seek New Terms Three members or the supreme court and all members of the court of appeals will go before the electors for new terms in the primary next wear. The members of the supreme court of Chief Justice John C. An
 derson and Associate Justices Lucien D. Gardner and Ormond Somerville The members of the court of appeals whose terms will expire at the end of 1s23. are Presiding Judge .. H. Bricken and Judges William H. Sam ford and Henry P. Merritt.
 It is not recorded that any member of the supreme court or appellate court will have opposition. Persons
 who have opposed members of the
 appellate courts in the past have