The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-19
LEGISLATURE NOW
 0N HOME STRETCH.
Revenue Burden Out Of Way. Port Bill And Agricultural
 Code Next
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU1
 THE AGE-HERALD MLnn.A n-r.u-. ...-.- A L.. .

ment comes at the end of the fiftieth legislative day the two houses will tarry little, according to the views of members when they left the city Friday afternoon for a weekend at their homes.
 It is not doubted that the remain ing important bills can be disposed of in short order as a result of the disposition of the revenue measure which is always the stumbling block before each legislature. At this time two bills of major importance remain for action-the bill providing the ma chinery for the construction of a state seaport under the constitu- tional amendment adopted last No-- vember and the bill consolidating all agricultural laws into state code. Many other bills of interest are yet to receive consideration, but the long hours of preliminary work are not involved which were involved in the handling of other legislation. Port Bm Comes Up.
 The port enabling act is on the house calendar and will recelYe action Wednesday or Thursday It has been made a special order TOT the thirty fifth legislative day. Ihe thirty-third day was passed Friday and the thirty-fourthl will come Tuesday If the legislature recesses Tuesday afternoon in order that com . mittees may have one day. the poTss bill will be considered Thursday 1T no recess is taken 1t Will come up for passage Wednesday,
 While all opposition has not been removed. friends of the bill glVlhB the state the right to issue port lIn . movement bonds to the amount OL S1O,O00 900 for the constructor or tne state seaport and the creating stato dock commissions for the superVlslo3ini of the construction believe IL "AAi pass without serious fight;
 Governor Brandon has called upoh friends of the administration to sup port contending that the rattlcaLloh Of the amendment by large ma ioritv in the election last November Showed that the people favored the construction of a state seaport ana fbat this ratification placed upon the legislature the ministerial duty of making plans for the development of the port.
 BRANDON WANTS SAFEGUARD
 Governor Brandon at the same time let it be known that he peheVes adequate safeguards should pc thrown around the expenditure or the funds which will be obtained through R bond issue and that if he IS not convinced that sufficient projections Is provided he will return the bill with amendments. He also announced that if later developments should show that adequate safeguards were not provided he would not hesitate to call an extra session of the legisla- ture.
 The agricultural code has not ad- vanced as far as the port enabling act. It is still before the house coni- mittee on agriculture. Friends Of the measure realize that radical amend ments are necessary and the commit when Is given d favorable report 1t will garry these amendments. Already tentative agreement has been made for the placing of five farmers on the state board of agriculture instead or the three provided by the original bill. The board of agriculture, under the plan evolved by the recess com mittee on agriculture, will have su- pervisfon over all agricultural and kindred activities, replacing the present board of agriculture. the state live stock sanitary board, and the state board of horticulture.
 HORTICULTURISTS PROTEST
 Horticulturists of south Alabama protested against the abolition or the board of horticulture, contendtng that those engaged in horticulture, who have developed the industry until 1t has become an important one in the Mobile section, are satisfised with the present law and do not want the work supervised by a board of agri- cultural However, the committee on agriculture has indicated that 1t will recommend the abolition of the board and the creation of the board of agriculture but with some changes in the original plan. Although few meas ure of state interest received the attention of the law makers during the week, the legislative program was carried forward to a greater extent than a summary of action without an interpretation would indicate.
 The passage of the revenue bill was the big work of the week. This act removed the barrier which has held back other legislation and re- lieved the tension of the adminis- tration which has opposed the pass age of any important legislation until the disposition of the revenue measure.
 sOIOns Make History.
 The revenue bill will go to Gov ernor Brandon as soon as 1t can be enrolled It probably will reach him Thursday or Friday It will be the first time in the states history that such a measure has gone to the eX- executive department before the clos Ing days of the session, in the past the bill has been delivered to the governor about the forty-fifth legis- lative day. This time 1t will go about the thirty-fifth day.
 As soon as the revenue bill has become a law, the budget commits sion will submit it's report to the legislature and it will be accom- panied by bills providing for appro- priations for the various activities of the state during the next four years.
 The report and the bills will carry aproriations based on the revenue bfnh nHri1l ha mt of the operation of the revenue laws. The administration has estimated that the new revenue bill will pro- vide about the same amount of rev. enue which has come to the state during the asst four years. There fore, 1t is not probable that any radical changes will be proposed in the appropriation.
 Mill Tax Favored.
 The constitutional amendments proposing a special educational tax of four mills will be suggested in bill which will be introduced dur ing the next few days. This amend metnt probably will be submitted at a special election three months after the final adjournment of the legislature.
 Governor Brandon is committed to the tax, while the state democratic convention went on record last Sep tember in favor of the levy.
 If adopted, two mills of the spe- cial tax will go to the public schools, one-half mill will go to the state normal schools and one and one-half mills to the institutions of higher earning, including the Uni versity. Alabama Polytechnic in- stitute and Alabama Girls Techni- cal Institute and College for Women. The calendar of the house at this time is one of the largest in the his tory of legislation in Alabama. How A .ai-n cAR a