The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-30
No Attention Paid Alabama
 Democratic Convention Call For Reduced Expenses And AboIishing Various Offices
BRAND0N'S NINE POINTS
 FAR FROM ACHIEVEMENT
Not a Single State Office
 Abolished And saIary h. Creases Conspicuous In SeV- eraI Branches Government
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU
 THE AGE-HERALD Montgomery, Ala, Sepv. z9

Demands made by the state demo- cratic convention last September and performances of the legislature which completed it's quadrennial session during the early hours of Saturday probably will furnish in- teresting reading for persons who make a study of political conditions and state affairs.
 The legislature brought It's session to 8 close by limitation of the con stitutlon which says that only 50 ses sions shall be conducted at each regular term. The fiftieth session was held Friday and the sine die ad- journment was forced, although countless bills remained on the cal endar of the house when the gavel fell.
 convention was for a reduction in the expenses of government and the abolition of unnecessary offices.
 A survey at this time cannot show how well this call was answered.
 The legislature did abolish the tax adjusters, but created in their places deputy tax assessors in all counties. The adjusters were paid salaries by the state and counties. The deputy assessors must earn thelr income through percentage on escaped personal property which they succeed
 
 Call unheedea ceneT9lly.
 But the call for the abolition of unnecessarily offices generally was creased. Not state office was. abolished and several state salaries were increased. There were perl sistent reports throughout the cam paign that the state law enforce ment department would be abolished. Instead of abolishing it, the legisla ture increased the appropriation from S50,000 to $100,000 annually The additional 1000 can be made available only on the approval of the governor.
 The second pledge of the demo- cratic convention was that no change would be made In the pro hibition laws. This was carried out to the letter. No serious effort was made to reduce the restrictions of the laws. During the early part of the session a bill was introduced Coy request) which provided that wine might be obtained for sacrament4l purposes in the same quantities as permitted by the federal statutes It went to the temperance commit tees and never saw the light of day again.
 There was much talk during the early days that an effort would be made so to amend the law as to -ar- init the sale of cereal bevel as >-. However, the majority in opposition to any change in the law was so great the bill was never introduced.
 o O o
 investigation, But No Legislation.
 On education the democratic con- gation of educational conditions and the enactment of legislation based on these findings. The investigation was made by the recess committee and Governor Brandon urged the submission of a constitutional amend ment which would permit the leVying of an additional tax of four mills which would be used solely for edu- eational development.
 The house of representatives de- clined to submit the amendment. The question never came to a vote. It was made a special order, but so many members were committed against 1t the fight was abandoned on the day the bill was supposed to be considered
 This left the educational interests without the means of obtaining addi- tional revenue. The result was that all plans for Increased appropria- tions were abandoned.
 Governor Brandon advised the legislature that no additional reve- nue could be provided for education All increases and appropriations were eliminated either by the legislature or the governor and the educational institutions will be forced to operate during the next iour years on the same amount of revenue they re- ceived during the last four years.
 The net result of the legislatures aid for education was the investiga- tion.
 The democratic convention called upon the legislature to be as liberal with the Confederate soldiers as DOS sible. The lawmakers doubled the appropriations for the pensioners who fought with the Confederate armies in the war between the states. Be- ginning with October 1 each Con- federate soldier will receive s25 a month instead of $l2.r0. An effort was made to increase the pensions for widows of Confederate soldiers and the bill introduced by Representative Charles P. Odom of Lamar was passed by the house. It was defeated by the
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