The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-26
CHANCE SLIM. ID SAVE BILL BEING FOUGHT
Senator Charges Railroads
 With Bringing Pressure To
 Bear To Insure Passage Of
 Substitute Favored By Them SITUATION IS SERIOUS, IS DICKSoN'S COMMENT Public Must Pay Half Cost Of
 Construction Under Plan Be- hind Which Carriers Are Said To Be Pushing Hard

Get up and fight Is Senator Walter Brewers advice to Birmingham, for the underpass viaduct situation is al- most lost in the legislature.
 There Is ghost of chance yet to save it," Senator Brewer said. but 1t will take all the pressure Birming ham can bring"
 Not only has the senate committee on the revision of laws adversed the Brower bill written to clarify exist ing conditions. but some provisions of the code of 1907 concerning railroad payment for underpass and viaduct construction are slated to go.
 Already introduced in the legisla- ture Is the substitute railroads bill" which will make any and every com munity in Alabama that advocates underpasses, viaducts. tunnels or similar Improvements, pay half the costs.
 This, Senator Brewer said, "practi- cally eliminates all the smaller com munitieS from such improvements, for obviously the little towns cannot raise the necessary money. As the situation stands today, it is no longer a Birmingham proposition, but an af- fair that Vitally affects every com munity in the state.'
 The railroad bill provides that if the state institutes such improve ments then the state must pay half the cost; if county takes the initia- tive for needed railroad improve ments, then the county must pay half the costs, and if city, such as Bir- mingham, in It's underpass situation, takes the initiative then Birmingham or any other town similarly affected, regardless of it's size, must pay half the costs.
 Origin of BiI 6uestioned.
 "The railroads claim" Senator Brower said, that the railroad bill Is of stats highway department origin. I asked Senator John Chaft of Mo bile, one of the guiding spirits for years in good roads work. if the state highway department sponsored the bill. He told me he had never heard of the railroad bill until 1t was introduced, and it is certain that if such Legislation originated in the highway department Senator Craft would have been aware of it."
 The railroad bill was introduced re- gently by Senator Leon Brooks of Es- cambia county, and 1t is now in the hands of the committee on revision of laws. which committee adversed the Brewer bill day or so ago.
 Alabama and Birmingham cannot affoh to treat the situation with anything but the gravest concern" Senator Brewer went on, flor even with the effort made by the commit tee of Birmingham people who went to Montgomery, l fear the individual senators do not realize the situation that exists in Birmingham with ref erence to yiaducts and underpasses and unless 8 strpendous effort is made by the citizens the chances are very, very slim to get remedial Legislation through the legislature at this session.
 The railroads are leaving nc stone unturned to prevent any changes in the present laws, except the change to make the public pay half the cost of construction of such improvements as those under dis cussion.
 .Throughout the rest of the land the states are dotted with cities and towns equipped with viaducts, un- derpasses and other railway paid for Improvements. Alabama alone as far as I can learn, is the only state to tolerate such conditions as those that here obtain and threaten.
 If the people do not wake up at once for a fight to the finish they are going to have the humiliatins and unfair railroads bill. introduced by Senator Brooks, saddled on them, and put there quickly at that.'
 Dickson Fears Situation.
 City Commissioner w. F. Dickson in whose department lies Birming- hams effort for the introduction oi vlSducts and underpasses, said the situation for Birmingham regarding the improvements was very grave when he was asked about it Satur- day morning. He has no idea oi slSckening up in the fight because the proposition is in a dark hour but he very frankly admitted the cause today seemed hopeless and he Raw little chance of the incumbent ligeslature approving the measure' in which Birmingham Is interested
 City Commissioner w. L. Harri' son said practically the same thing but that as his colleague had the initiative and responsibility in th' matter he must confine his efforts \ 10 supporting Commissioner Dick son's work in the case
 Other Birmingham men saw th' situation plainly as 1t has developed and are awaiting a call for s mass meeting to be held in the next day or SO. No few of them did not hesitate to blurt out the belief that the present legislature Is made ur 10 great extent of corporation law yers, that every corporation bil will get turned down, and that there Is an unusual number of railroad lawyers in the legislature who ar' representing the people and the rail- roads at the same time.
 Leaders in the movement were II conference Saturday morning and csIl for a general meeting is ex' nacfed at any moment.