The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-08
LAW|NAKER ERS HA {
 SEVEN IMP0RTAI
 SUBJECTS AT HAl :.
Approaching 34 Days VI Be Crowded With Their
 Consideration
STATE CAPITAL REAU1'
 THE AGE-HERALD 7
Montgomery, Ala July

legislature gather at the capitol a t noon Tuesday for the second portion of the quadrennial session which be- gan in January they will have seven important subjects which will call for consideration and legislation dur ing the 34 days remaining of the session. These subjects are; Convict lease. revenue, education. agriculture, state seaport. state and county high ways and conservation.
 For many months recess commit tees and individuals have e nsidered the subjects and will brs g to the lawmakers suggestions for their handling. Revenue, education. aGri- culture and conservation have beeh handled by recess committee, while the other subjects have received the attention of individuals.
 Predictions are that the fight for the abolition of the convict lease or contract system will be the hardest of the session. Up to this time the legislature is committed to the con tinuation of the system until 1927. During the short session the admin istration presented a bill extending the system from January 1, 1924 to January 1, 1927, and it was passed with a great majority in each house. Several organizations opposed thu proposal, but no organized flight was made and the lawmakers accepted the suggestion of Governor - 'ond' who contended that the state had no. the time in which to arrange for the use of convict labor in other ways and that the state treasur could not stand the heavy loss of revenue.
 O Q o
 Organized Opposition.
 Since the bill became a law the revelations in Florida IXhera |rott+n of North Dakota was found to have been killed in convict camp have caused the organization in Alabama of state campaign committee which will urge the legislature to abolish the lease or contract system without delay. A bill proposing the ending of the system not later than January 1. 1925, probably will be introduced dur ing the early days of the session.
 1t may be said that Governor Bran don's administration Is still opposed to the abolition of the present sys- tenn. It's contention is that state con Victs now are constantly under the supervision of the state convict de- partment; that there is no such thing as convict lease system in the working of state convicts, and that the contract system, the term applied by the administration, prere-ts any supervision by those who Denrlu =, nanctally from the labor of convicts
 Another contention of the adminis- tration is that convicts now used in the coal mines under the contracts want to remain in the mines and that the state cannot take over the mines and operate them because convicts injured in the mines would receive no financial recompense for their in- juries, while at present coal compa- nies are responsible for any injuries which result from accidents in the mines.
 Convict Supervision.
 Governor Brandon has already an- nounced that he favors q change in the system for the handling of coun- ty conVlcts. It was suggested during the week that the governor will re- quest the legislature to put the duty of employing county couvicts upon the state convict department with a proViso that all net earnings of coun- ty convicts snail go to the counties in which the convicts were convicted. At present no supervision is main tained over county convicts other than the visits which agents of the state prison inspection departmen: can make at times when other duties are not pressing. Dr Glenn Andrews, state prison inspector in his last an nual report appealed for a change Tn the law so as to provide some sure -- vision.
 One coal company in the Birn... r ham district now employs tho county convicts of q large number of coun- ties. Other counties are working. their short-term men on the public highways, while few are hi inG them to farmers.
 Revenue Bill.
 The revenue bill, as usual. will at tract great attention and will draw representatives of practically all in tereStS Mont The b;11 1,n., been written by the recess committee on finance and taxation with the aid Of the state budget commission but little information regarding it has been submitted to the public. Up to this time the only thing certain about the bill is that 1t will propose the assessment of taxes by the tax asses sor, with supervisory power vested in agents of the state tax commission. The proposal for the use of the tax assessors in the assessment of taxes and the abandonment of the tax ad- Juster system was plank in the platform of Governor Brandon. though nothing was said during the | campaign which would indicate that field agents would be maintained.
 Members of the recess committee have indicated that no great changes have been made in the revenue law other than the sections creating ms- chlnery. The assessment basis will stand as before if the legislature ac- cepts the recomm endations of the committee. While minor changes have been made in some license schedules the committeeman have indicated that no radical suggestions have been made
 One thing seems quite certain: The severance tax proposed by Senator George w. Duncan of Limestone and Lauderdale counties will not be i'm posed If the recess committees ideas are acceptable. This bill was con- sldered during the recess and investi- gatlons made regarding the revenue which 1t would produce, but every indication now Is that 1t has been laid aside
 Tonnage Tax AmpIifled.
 The proposed severance tax bssi was an amplification of the tonnage tax law enacted in 1919 which levied tax on coal and iron mined based on the number of tons. Senator Duncan eontended that the tax should be levied onn all natural ra- sources, including iron. coal, turpen- tine. lumber, sand and gravel.
 For the advancement of the states educational institutions during the quadrenntum the recess committee on education will present a bill sub hitting constitutional amendment which would levy a special tax of mills for public education. Although the committee has not completed it's report, the understanding Is that 1t will provide that | F mills of the proposed tax would be applied to higher education, including the Uni Versity, Auburn and Montevallo, and the remaining 21a mills would hs
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