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ADDRESS OF
J. K. DIXON

PRESIDENT OF THE ALABAMA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION

Our constitution provides that the President shall open each annual meeting of the Association with an address, in which he shall communicate the most noteworthy changes in the statute law on points of general interest made in the several states and by congress during the preceding year.

The most noteworthy change in the laws in the United States which has taken effect during the last twelve months is the 19th Amendment to the constitution, granting suffrage to women throughout the country. The enactment of this constitutional provision by the necessary number of states, although rejected by some, including Alabama, required during the present year states which had not before this time enacted such legislation to adopt laws to meet the requirements of the federal constitution so as to allow women the same privilege of voting that men have in the several states. This necessitated a special session of our own legislature, which was held September and October of 1920.

In a majority of the states in the United States there had already been enacted laws prior to this constitutional provision allowing women to participate on an equality with men in all elections. In some states, this had been the law for twenty or more years and the result evidently had proven to the majority of the voters that women were entitled to the right of suffrage, and notwithstanding the opposition which developed in some states, particularly in the South, the law was enacted and is now in effect. Whether it will prove satisfactory in our state or other states which rejected the amendment is yet to be shown but to the extent that it has been tried so far, it seems to be giving satisfaction.

As stated, in Alabama there was a special session of the Legislature, the principal purpose of such session was to enact the laws to carry out the provision of the federal constitution granting suffrage to women. The first of these enacted was to provide for the payment of the poll tax and the collection thereof, this act extending the requirement of paying poll tax to women in order to vote. There was some question as to whether this required women to pay for the present year prior to the first of February, the Supreme Court recently holding that this was required. The other act adopted to carry into effect this provision of the constitution was in regard to the registration of electors, providing for the appointment of three registrars to constitute the Board of Registrars, and to hold a session prior to the Fall election in order that the women might register. Under the provisions of these acts, by registering and paying the poll tax women became qualified voters. It appears in the cities and towns a majority of the women qualified to vote, registered but in the country district the registration among women is still small.

In addition to these acts, there was a law passed by the last Legislature authorizing the Court of County Commissioners to issue interest-bearing warrants in payment of debts and other obligations, and to provide for the sale and payment of such warrants.

Another act which was adopted by the Legislature was one requiring every state official who is paid a salary to reside in or near the City of Montgomery and attend his office daily. This act was to take the place of an act which was attempted to be adopted at a former session but which. was not properly enacted.

The most important legislation enacted during the special session in Alabama were two companion acts, one entitled: "An Act to enlarge the authority, powers and jurisdiction of the Alabama Public Service Commission so as to more effectively provide for the supervision, inspection and regulation by said Commission in the public interest

of the construction, maintenance and operation of public utilities and of their service, rules, regulations and practices; fares, rates and charges; facilities and plants; franchises, licenses and contracts; and their valuation, financing and securities;" and the other: "An Act in relation to the Alabama Public Service Commission; to enlarge the powers, authority and jurisdiction of the Alabama Public Service Commission; to supervise, regulate, and control the rates, fares and charges, facilities, practices, rules and service, the finances and securities of transportation companies." These acts, as their titles show, were enacted for the purpose of enlarging the authority of the Public Service Commission, formerly known as the Railroad Commission. In the first act, it gives the Commission power over all individuals or corporations which furnish the public electricity or gas for light or heat or power, any plant furnishing the public steam for heat, light or power, any public wharf, dock or terminal, any public ferry or road, any boat line within the state, in addition to the railroads and other common carriers. In the act, it gives the Public Service Commission supervision over the issuance of securities, requiring application to be made for this purpose and authorizing the granting or refusing the same, and providing for the valuation of any public utility by the Commission and giving them exclusive jurisdiction to regulate and supervise every utility in respect to rates or service regulation and in respect to franchises, licenses or contracts, also having supervision of the plants, facilities and equipments and the schedules of common carriers and requiring investigation of complaints, and authorizing the Commission to require any utility or officer or agent to produce books for the examination by the Commission.

The second of these acts has more particularly to do with railroads, express companies, steam boats and telegraph and telephone lines, giving full powers and authority to this Commission to regulate rates and schedules and the conduct in regard to intra-state commerce, making it un

lawful for any agent, officer or attorney of any traffic association or freight bureau to ask or solicit any claim from any shipper or consignee, giving them authority to appoint and designate special examiners to take evidence in regard to any matter which they desire to investigate, and providing penalties against any common carrier who fails to comply with the terms thereof, also requiring transportation companies to pay certain fees for inspection and supervision. It gives the Commission the right to employ any additional officers, accountants, engineers and inspectors with the approval of the Governor, these acts giving very extensive and full authority to this commission, in fact as full and complete authority as any of the Public Service Commissions of any state throughout the Union.

There was also an act adopted amending the act to prevent frauds and impositions on people of the State, other wise known as the "Blue Sky Law", putting it under the supervision of the Public Service Commission and extending the authority and rights and supervision over the issuance of securities by corporations in this state.

Other than the acts referred to, all laws adopted at the special session of the legislature of Alabama were either local or of minor importance.

The laws enacted by Congress during the present year have not been noteworthy except in two instances.

The first of these was in regard to the law governing the merchant marine of the United States. This enactment provided for the repeal of the Emergency Law in effect during the war and for the disposition of property acquired, including the ship building plants and ships or the operation of the same by the Government, giving the Government power and jurisdiction over the fixing of rates upon these ships and so operated and used by them.

The second important legislation was in regard to the water powers throughout the United States. This act of Congress created a Federal Power Commission which should have general supervision over the improvement of

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