The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-23
BROWER BILL. PROVIDES FOR OPEN SEASON
Birmingham Will Be Enabled
 Choose Any Form Of Gov
 ernment Desired By Voters
 Under Pending Measure INITIATIVE MACHINERY PROPOSED FOR PURPOSE Advocates Of Various Types
 Of Administrative Plans Ex-
 pected To Become Busy Should Law Be Adopted

Birmingham can have whatever sort of government it wants if the house passes and the governor signs the Brewer bill that was approved by the state senate in Montgomery Tuesday
 Men of affairs who have been talk ing an interest in the city govern ment measures presented before the legislature Wednesday welcomed news of the successful passage through the senate of the Brewer bill for if the measure maintains it's course through the legislature. Birmingham citizens will have a breadth of range in government choosing such as no city in Alabama has ever dreamed of.
 The Howze bill provides three ways of government, aldermanic, commission and city manager; but the Brewer bill names nothing, sim ply leaving the style and arrange ment up to initiative election choice of the voters when and how they choose.
 The Brewer bill, as it passed the
  intended not to restrict the govern ing body in passing ordinances, but to give the people of the city the right to change their form of gov ernment in any manner and at any time they please, providing the be made in the same manner that Initiative ordinances are now passed by the people.
 O O O
 Gives People Power.
 Senator Brewers bill really gives the people power to select and put in bperation any possible form ot government the people may see ht to inaugurate.
 Representative Henry Howze' bill. in it's choice of three forms Of government, if it became law, would force voters to abstain from voting or have to vote for measure which they might not approve. Also, In a close race, an additional election might be required for "run-otf' again forcing voters to take the choice of what they might consider the lesser of two objectionable forms.
 As both pills are of peculiarly local interest in Birmingham's case, it Is not expected that the legislature Will do anything objected to by the Bir- mingham chosen legislators, so no ob- stacle is foreseen for the Brewer measure save that which might arise in the Jefferson county group, and as Senator Brower's bill, blanket measure. covers any contingency that may arise, and, Birmingham men say, as Senator Brower is regarded as spokesman fo' the group, 1t IS not, at this time, anticipated that his bill will be opposed. When the measure Ia there was not an opposing vote. See Lively Times.
 Birmingham men discussing the bill and its effect Wednesday foresaw lively times in the city when the measure is signed by the governor, if that conclusion to it's tourney through the legislature eventuates, for at once advocates of many forms of government will seek to convert or clinch followings in various forms and ways of handling municipal at- fairs, and, with the gate wide open to any style of government, it is eX- pected that such campaigning will speedily develop, for the bill provides for a change at any time.
 The Junior Chamber of Commerce for years has been advocating the city manager plan, another group of Birmingham men is equally sold" on the idea of return to the aldermanic system, now that the saloons have gone and undue evil influence is re- moved from the representative form of government. Then there are the erstwhiIe followers of John R. Hor- nady pioneer for government by commission, who remain stauncn supporters of the present method, with the number of commissioners re-adjusted.
 The recent legislative enactment re- ducing the commission to member ship of three will be so much mere paper, for If the Brewer bill is signed, the three commissioner bill can be tossed aside by public vote as though 1t had never been introduced in the legislature.
 Next the Brewer bill goes to the house, where the legislators can get crack at it. What Jefferson repre- sentatives will say and do remains to be found out, and Birmingham men of affairs are awaiting their ac- ton, meanwhile looking forward to political circus in Alabama's me- tropolis, such as Jones valley has never before seen.
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