The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-28
THE LEGISLATIVE RECORD.


 Today the legislature of Alabansa convenes for it's final sitting. Its rec ord is history, beyond it's authority to alter. How well it has served She people of the state time will tell more accurately. There has been observed, however, an exhibition of complacency among the members that is hardly justified by their achievements, or by their response to the demands of public welfare and the progress of this commonwealth.
 Some acts are fair. For example, there is the port-enabling act which allows this state to proceed with the development of the seaport at Mobile as ordered by a cordial majority of the voters of Alabama. The legislature can claim no great credit for passing this act, which was so clearly the will of the people and yet which was long in the hands of it's enemies ap- pointed by MT. McDowell. There is public approval of the provision foe small commission, but the cautious manner in which the authority of the commission has been hedged about calls for no praise. It will require an able commission to succeed in spite of some of the provisions, including the lack of any provision specifically giving the commission authority to condemn any and all property needed for the successful expansion of the seapost. Nevertheless, the measure authorizes the state to proceed, which is something.
 The measure reducing the highway commission to three members, IS very commendable and calculated to make possible more businesslike ad- ministration of the state highways. There are minor acts of merit, some of them of state and some of only To- cal application. In the wider view, however, it is difficult to see how any legislative body, with such unpar- alleled opportunity, could have &C., complished less in an equal amount of time. For example, there was the failure to pass the measure placing the burden of proof upon the railroads in response to citations by the Pubic Service Commission. This situation was one in which the public welfare loudly called for remedy. It should be said, however, that the majority of the house was in favor of this meas ure, and that sixty-one members voted for its recall from committee, a conn mittee which held the interest of the railroads to be higher than the inter- est of the people they were elected to serve. The inexplicable adjournment of the senate on the last day this sub feet would have been voted on perhaps blocked the earnest and conscientious efforts that were being made to res cue the measure from committee and pass 1t.
 i The revenue measures would he scarcely worth noting were it not for the fact that they are the weak re- placements of revenue system that, at the time the legislature first as- sembled last winter, was providing a constantly growing income for the state. As result of the blow dealt the states income the legislature was unable to provide adequately for the growing needs of the state, 8 situation for which the legislature and the gov ernor are jointly responsible. The only possible way out is for Governor Brandon to operate his present machin- cry to its utmost capacity. If he does this, some improvement of the finan- cial situation may be hoped for.
 The legislature failed to envision in wide way the public profit in appro- priating money for the purpose of ad- vertising abroad the opportunities in this state for capital and enterprise. The legislature failed to provide any policy calculated to preserve primarily for the people of Alabama that great and powerful resource, the water power. The public hope for wisdom in regard to this great asset now rests upon the Public Service Commission, body that has shown vision and pr!- mary regard for the public interest, but which is of course not capable of repairing legislative oversights. It is confidently believed that the commits sion will do what it can to protect the public title to the sources of water power until such time as there shall assemble legislature that shall give this subject the consideration it de- serves.
 Last, but by no means least im- portant, is the failure of the legisl.- ture to pay the debt it owed this state in respect to the convict lease system. This system, county and state, should have been abolished outright by stat ute, and there is not the slightest ground for defense of the legislatures s refusal to do this. The excuse that the state needs the revenue is the