This, Senator Brower said, “practi
j 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 j
the state institutes such improve- j
■ jnents, then the state must pay half j
the cost; If a county takes the initia
tive for needed railroad improve- j
xnents, then the county must pay half I
; the costs, and if a city, such as Bir- i
mlngham, in its underpass situation, I
takes the initiative then Birmingham |
or- any other town similarly affected, j
regardless of its size, must pay half
the costs.
o o o
Origin of BUI <S«estloned.
"The railroads claim,” Senator
Brower said, "that the railroad bill Is
of state highway department origin.
> 1 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 it 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
cently by Senator Leon Brooks of Es- J
cambia county, and It is now in the i
hands of the committee on revision
of laws, which committee adversed j
the Brow.er bill a day or so ago.
