The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-31
THE LEGISLATIVE MILL

"The mills of the gods grind slowly,
 but they grind exceeding fine" The
 legislative mill is grinding with even
 more than godlike slowness. It re-
 mains to be seen whether it grinds fine
 or not. There are some who even
 fear that very little grain is being put
 into the hopper, in spite of the fren-
 zied shoveling noticeable here and
 there. Of course, today the mill will
 be more or less idle, and properly so,
 for the solons will have the opportu-
 nity of listening to lawmaker of su-
 perior ability. It is hoped that they
 will thereby be refreshed and heart ened to return to their duties with a
 renewed sense of the solemn obliga-
 ton which rests upon them to perform something of lasting value to the peo- pie, who have elected them in the con- fidence that their sittings would be serious and not publicly unprofitable.
 In carrying out the express desire of the people, the legislature can find no charge more specific or direct than the program of port development. It is believed that the plans for this de- velopment have been carefully and
 wisely worked out under competent technical supervision. The public wei fare counsels that there be no avoid able delay in authorizing the harbor board to proceed with this important undertaking. The question of a wa ter power policy looking to the con- servation of this resource in such manner as to be of the utmost benefit to the industry of this state is one that cannot properly be overlooked. The federal government places time limit upon power leases, while the state merely issues "certificate of convenience and necessity" which ap- pears to be limitless and to remove from the state the very title to river beds and contiguous property. This is a grave error, which should be rec tified by proper enactment, so that the control of this tremendous asset shall not pass out of the state. Some day soon our best coal will be ex- hausted, perhaps within the next thirty years. Water power, properly conserved and administered, will ex- ist in it's present volume and poten- tiality for centuries to come. It is, aside from the soil, the states most inexhaustible and important resourse. The public would like to know what | the legislature has in mind regarding this tremendous opportunity.
 Then there is the question of con vict leasing, of which there can be no doubt that the majority opinion de- mands immediate and unqualified ces- sation. The people know that the all legation that there is no other present way of utilizing the services of con- victs is futile and a confession of leg islative reluctance to discover an alter native. It is admission by this leg islature that it cannot do what the of other states have found no difficulty in doing. Does the leg islature of Alabama want that confes- sion and that admission to stand as it's final word on this vital matter? If so, it strangely and obtusely mis- interprets the temper and intelligence of the people of this commonwealth. so easily pierced as that cannot stand in this day of public en- lightment. If the legislature fails to stop convict leasing at once and for ever, then it can have no excuse ex- cept that it has not diligently sought the solution of the question demanded by public decency and the almost unanimous voice of the people of Alabama.