The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-09
LEGISLATORS AND
VOTERS DISCUSS
PROPOSED BILLS
Measures to Be Presented
Deal Largely With Labor
transformations Rule
Bill Opposed

Considerable interest was exhibited
at the last of the three conferences
between legislators and voters held
Friday night, and several proposed
bills were discussed in detail. All
except one of the measures intro-
duced dealt with labor legislation.
A bill granting authority to in
dustrial credit unions to operate in
the state was presented BY w. V
! NJ. Robertson. Bills providing for
creation of a state board of boiler rules
and factory inspection department
were urged by Samuel Stewart, me-
chanical engineer, and A. j. Arrant
insurance agent. respectively.
A miners qualification law was
proposed by l.. B. Baird, miner, OF
Jasper. Detective G. c. Giles spoke
briefly for the police civil service
and pension bill and told the legis-
lators that since the measure was
in imperfect form, no detailed dis
cussion would be made. 1t was said
that copies of the bill would be pre-
sented to each of the legislators. and
that there would be no public dis
cussion of 1t later.
Joseph P. Mudd, representing the
Junior Chamber OF Commerce. pre-
scented an anti-lynching bill, and
Frank G. Spain, speaking for the
same organization, opposed the, pro-
posed home rule of public utilities
bill.
Industrial Credit
Authority for operation of indus
trial credit unions was asked by w.
" M. Robertson. who declared that
ii would mean much toward abolition
of loan sharks. The system pro-
posed by him was pooling of savings
of workmen into fund, controlled
by board of directors, from which
money could be borrowed by mem
bers in event of emergencies. Re
payments to the fund would be made
Mr.. Robertson said. in small week
ly, or otherwise regular amounts. Mr.
Robertson declared that this system
was in operation in other states and
had led to splendid results.
Boiler Rules
Samuel Stewart. mechanical engi-
neer. member of Birmingham order
of American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, urged the creation of a
board of boiler rules, composed OF
part-t time expert engineers, who
would have authority to draft re.
quirements to which all boilers
brought into the state would have
to conform. The speaker declared
that life and property are endang-
cred because of defective boilers
operated in absence of any statutory
restrictions.
A ]. Arrant. insurance agent, fol-
lowed Mr.. Stewart and proposed &c
extend his suggestions to include
the establishment of factory In
spection department. whose super
vision would be not only over new
boilers brought into the state bu
over all boilers now in operation
The method of this supervision woult
be that insurance companies shoulc
be required to make reports of theil
inspections to the department, which
would then require defects In thu
boilers remedled, under penalty o
cessation of their operation.
Miners Qualification
L. B. Baird of Jasper, internationa
board member of the United Mine
Workers of America, district No 20
said he spoke from more than q
years experience when he urged the
passage of al miners qualification
law as means for reducing fatal
ties from coal dust explosions and
similar accidents.
Mr.. Baird proposed q system Of
apprenticeship, similar to one in ef-
feet in other states. whereby mer
could not be allowed to work al
miners until they had received ade-
quate training.
impeachment Of Sheriff
Amendment to the present Law
that provides impeachment of sher-
ifs under certain conditions sur
rounding mob violence was suggest
ed in a measure proposed by Joseph
p. Mudd. speaking for the Junior
Chamber of Commerce. The present
law, the speaker pointed out, re-
quires that the attorney genera
shall be convinced that the sheriff
is guilty of negligence or connivance
with lynehing parties before i'm
parchment proceedings can be insti-
gated. Mr.. Mudd's revision provided
that this discretionary power be re
moved and that mob lynching Itself
should constitute prima facie evil
dence of guilt on the part of the
sheriff. Impeachment proceedings
would automatically follow acts OF
lynching, he said.
Oppose Home Rule Bill
Frank G. Spain spoke for the
Junior Chamber of Commerce against
the proposed home rule of public
utilities bill. He declared that the
trend of the times was not toward
municipal control, but toward more
| Capitalization of authority In ths
state.
ANN. 4.x. ~..u.as.~ o,ran+ 5aJa.