The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-21
SOLONS USE KNIFE ON VITAL PARTS OF REVENUE BILL
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the bill that they knew In advance the result because at times more than majority of the members of the house were in the conferences.
 When the first amendments were adopted Alfred M Tunstall. who was the pilot of the measure, realized that opposition was hopeless and that those who favored amendments were far in the majority.
 Culver sInshes First.
 The fight on the first important amendments showed the trend of opinion. It came on an amendment l by Representative '. S Culver of Etowah striking from the bill the provision for representative of the state tax commission on each county board of review. The amendment vas adopted by an overwhelming vote No roll call was demanded and none was taken. The members were so unanimous in the view that nobody cared to put the individuals on record.
 1 Representative Thompson of Eto wsh offered the amendments placing the salary Of the chairman of state tax commission at s4.o00 and the
 salaries of the associate members at s3.6O0 These amendments like ! majority. By this action the house retained the chairman's salary at the same figure and cut s40o a year off the salary of each associate mem Der.
 The vote on the amendment taking $500. 900 from the state treasury i which is received from the gasoline tax and placing it in the hands of the | counties came a the close cf the ! session. The proposal came from Representative Elliott of Choctaw. When it was read by the clerk smiles came upon the faces of prac- i tically all members. They knew Tn advance what would be the resuIt' They had seen the majority ln ac- ton throughout the morning.
 state Loses Chs Tax.
 Representative Elliott moved the adoption of the amendment. And 1t was adopted by loud cries Of aye
 An interesting moment came when Representative Alfred M Iunstail offered an amendment providing for inc appointment of a special board
 of review for Jefferson county.
 which would supersede the board or revenue. and tax assessor or Je1rer- scr county.
 Members of the Jefferson delega- ton jumped to their feet ana moved 1
 sentative Fred Fite gained the recoe = hilton Of F. F. St. John. chairmsn | of the c2mmitteee of the whtle which was created for the consldeta- i ton of the revenue bill MT rue charged that the amendmeht was
 discrimination against Jefferson Icountv after 1t had been abolished 1 in all other counties.
 Representative Henry Howe ol i Jefferson followed Mir. Fite. He de- | clared that the people or JeiLersoh are opposed to the plan; that Jettei- son has always contributed It's shal and more of the state revenue, ana that the people want to be under the same system which is used Tn other i counties. Representative J. Lee Long
 of Butler, who fought the tax adlus. i ter system when it was established in 1919. in an argument Tor the smendmcon read an editorial froif ! The Birmingham Age-Herald or FIT daN which said the legislature was about to change a revenue system which had proved satisfactory. Mir Long stated that the editorial indi- tcated that all the people Of that i county were not opposed to the tax sdjuster. He said an unusual syS-
 tenn must be maintained in Jefferson ] in order to care for the heavy tax as- 1 sessme nts. l Representative Glover of HenrL ] who has been with Mir. Long in many 1 fights, differed with him this tune and declared that there shouid be no discrimination and that taxing sys- ] tenn provided for one county should
 be the system provided for all.
 Fite Maxes Warm.
 Mir. Fite obtained recognition again and told the members that if they be 1 lieved the tax adjuster system was
 the proper one they should establish it for all counties. If the tax ad-
 iuster is good for Jefferson, Why isn't it good for Butler?" MT. Fite asked There is no theory on which | this amendment can be justified" 1 Representative Mike Sollie of Dale ! joined the fight with the Jefferson delegation. He said it had shown q magnanimous spirit of give and take { throughout the sessions. The Jef-
 ferson members are right" he con ! tinued. Why should we take Ieffer- son and make it scape goat? It's not right. Here is q county which is sending large amounts annually for the support of the state and 1t should i receive the same treatment accorded other counties"
 i Representative L. K Bowen and 1 Mark L. deter of Jefferson also ne-
 clared that the people of their coun-
 ty are opposed to the proposal. 1 0 O O
 TunstaI1 ExpspuiHs.
 MT. Tunstall author Of the alne1d-
 ment, in explanation. stated that a l citizen of Jefferson county who was
 understood to be the attorney of
 the board oi revenue. had appeared
 before the committee On ways, melns i and app rppGiations ;ru had stated
 that the board of revenue could not
 dc. the work properl% and desired | the creat tion oi I SIG al board of i three members "lf cn error mas ! been made T tho submission Of this
 amendment. il has beer made b. one
 who was supposed tn sppeir For
 Jefferson count befo.e the commit tee" saii Ar. runstail. "Persons Ky,
 have no interest in the amend
 rnent and it was offered at the suS- l gestion of the citizens of Jefferson ' l Representative Lewis Bowen Of Jeff | 'ferson made the motiou to lay the
 amendment on the table and 1t was i carried Olay one person, who sat 1 in the rear of ths hall, voted 1 against it"
 Mir. Howze, after the amendm nt
 had been tabled, explained that the
 attorney of the board oT revenue jii
 appear before the committee and did suggest the amendment. but the peo-
 rlc filed a rrotcst witt: the Jefferson | delega ton Wht they heard of it. 1 o O o
 i Brandon Is silent.
 Governor Brandon would not com
 ment Friday afternoon on the ac-
 ton of .he house in Cmasculating E
 the revenue bill proposed by the re-
 cess commlttce. He said he would
 have 10 3eatemnt to make. Ad-
 ministraticn leaders were hopeful
 that the senate woulc ieinstate the
 provision chminated or would de- wise other methods whlch wouli meet i the approl al of the house.
 The big majority in the house for