The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-16
HENRY FAVORS BILL.
 ID PLACE COUNTY. FUNDS ON INTEREST.
County Treasurer Makes Statement on Placing Funds of the County at Interest
 for General Fund

Efforts are being made to have the legislature pass the bill requiring che county treasurer to place all county funds in a depository which will pay interest. NJ. v. Henry, coun- ty treasurer, as well as number of interested citizens, Is working for the passage of this bill. 1t being held by them that the county could re- oeive interest on it's money. The treasurer spent the entire week in Montgomery last week, being accom- panied by his daughter, Mrs. Richard Mayfield.
 Heretofore Mir Henry has declined to place the county funds on interest because there was no law requiring it. Although there was none against 1t the treasurer declined to take the responsibility in case any of the money should be lost.
 Hill Pending
 In speaking of this act yesterday Mir. Henry stated:
 There is a bill pending in the leg islature for the placing of the county lQilOS pu lhlCi Sol anu De bAANiPS S'AN salaries of the treasurer and assist ants. This bill is now on the call endar of the house, having had Q favorable report from the house com mittee. The bill has been practi- cally agreed to by the representa- tives of Jefferson county and unan- imously indorsed by tlFe board of revenue. and l cannot see any just reason for opposition, believing 1t to be clearly in the interest of the people of Jefferson county.
 "The bill would provide adequate and efficient clerks for the office. and after paying all expenses of the office would give tho county, at a conservative estimate, S15,ooo an- nually.
 Clearing House
 "The treasurer's office is clear ing house for the entire county and all of the responsibility rests upon the treasurer. The treasurer Is un- der a S600,000 bond. and his clerks from s10,000 to $25,000. The amount of the bonds speaks for the respou- sibillty. Take Mobile county, for in- stance. understand the treasurer of that county Is under a s50000 bond, and his salary is $4,000, while the treasurer of this county is under a S600,000 bond and his salary is S3,500 You will at once see the in justice of this, as I presume the amount of the bond speaks for. the responsibility.
 q have had cases in the supreme court seven times, involving half a million dollars for this county, and have won every case, but as the law is now, if we lose the case the treas urer has to pay the cost and the at torney's fees.
 Makes Coward
 That thing itself has a tendency to make a coward of the treasurer. as he does not like to pay it out of his own money and take the risk, and where we have so many local laws affecting this office and this county, 1t is sometimes difficult to discover whether we are safe with out going to the supreme court.
 "The equipment of this office is antiquated, having been established 25 years ago, when the treasurer made small personal bond and ear ried his papers around in a saddle bag. But this county has grown in leaps and bounds from few mill lion dollars of taxable property to $40, 900, ,000.
 "The annual salaries now asked for under this, bill will not amount to as much as the present annual salaries of one of the inferior courts.