Birmingham age-herald., 1894-09-20
AN INTERESTING SESSION. The City Fathers Accomplish a
 Great Deal in Short Order. THE CHARITY HOSPITAL
Will Continue for the Present. Retrenchment Holds It's
 OWn-What Was Done.

its regular semi monthly session las night, at which were present Mayor Fol
 and Aldermen Ward, Wilson, Duncan,
 Thomas, Robertson, Jefferis, Smith, Mo
 Garth, Jones, Parker, Mcknight and
 Lowery.
 Reading of the minutes of the previous
 meeting was dispensed with.
 MT. k. H. Pearson was granted permis- sion to address the board on behalf of the Charity hospital. He said that at the be- ginning of the year the board had appro- priated certain amount monthly to the hospital and that he thought it was vir- tually contract, and it was matter oi justice and right that the appropriation should be continued until the end of the year. Without the S400 a month given by the city that institution would have to close it's doors. He said the medical col. lege recently established here was depend- ent upon the hospitals continuance.
 The mayor said the county commission CTS had declined to give anything towards the support of the hospital.
 MT. Jones said he believed in every man doing with his own money as he pleased , but the city council didn't have the right to vote away the city's money except for absolute necessities. He believed $400 a month could be raised in Birmingham by subscription for the support of the hos pital.
 ,. MT. McCartin didn't think this amount could be raised by subscription. He said some of the best ladies of Birmingham had failed during better times than these to raise an equal amount for charitable in- stitution. He had advocated reductions and retrench ments. He was not present when the reductions in salaries were made and had been unable to see any method in the cuts. He moved that the appropria- ton to the hospital be continued until the end of tho year. The motion was seconded by Mir. Ward and cue or two others.
 As a substitute MT. Lowery offered the following resolutions:
 Recognizing charity as one of the cardi- nal principles that should underlie all en- frightened society, and the honest practice thereof Christian virtue; and
 Recog gnizlng that the protection and maintenance of property values of this community is the duty of municipal off cials, to the end that all public institutions may be the better supported and justly main tained, wherein one may not suffer to the benefit of another; aud,
 ,, Whereas, It has been ordered that all ap- Inspirations to the Charity hospital and Mercy home be discontinued after the 1st of October; and,
 Whereas, The balance in the treasury is becoming aIarmingly small, and financial failure is threatening the city governments; and
 Whereas, It is the determined policy of this administration that all extravagancies and unnecessary salaries and expenses shall give place to an economical management of municipal affairs in order that the city's credit at home and abroad shall be main tained and property of tax payers ade- quately protected; and
 Whereas, It is the sworn duty of public officials at all times to look to the material interests of the community, as we'll as to 1 n1p i1ar t0 oil a1u no1 and moral questions that bear upon the ad- vancement and enlightenment of the peo- pie; and
 Whereas, It is considered that the high school and training class, wbile very bene- ficial and helpful in the directions aimed at, should in the present condition of af- fairs be suspended, to the end that other and more vital interests of the public shall not suffer; and
 Whereas, The high school and training class are being operated at m expense of $6645 for nine months of the year, exclusive of rents and incidental expenses; and
 Whereas, The superintendent of schools and principals of pu bile schools should sub init to reductions in salaries, as other city officials, to an amount not less than $1950; aud
 Whereas, It is considered right and proper that the principals should teach, thereby doing away with one teacher in each of the public schools, which will net a saving of about $1350 to the treasury; and
 Whereas, The board of education has decided to open the schools one month later the coming year, giving reduction of S3610 from the desired appropriation; and
 Whereas, The above mentioned reduc- lions, which are in the line of strict econ- omy, foot up grand total of SIS, ,555; and
 Whereas, The appropriation asked from the city is something over BPS, 900;
 Be it, therefore, resolved, That reduc- tion be made in the educational budget as above indicated, and that the city auditor be only authorized to pay the sum of S2166 | per month for the eight months succeeding ,he 1st day of October from the funds of | the city, to be applied to the educational | budget, provided, that $166 thereof be | paid monthly as an addition to the fees col | ected for the maintenance of the high | ,chool.
 Resolved, That such improvements be | made in the present apparatus of the fire | department as is deemed necessary and | requisite by the fire committee for the ade- | Iuate protection of property.
 Resolved, That such appropriations be | made to the Charity hospital and Mercy | nome for their maintenance as shall be | deemed necessary and just by the mayor | md finance committee of this board.
 Mir. Thomas seconded the substitute. | MT. MoCartiu said the resolutions were out | ,f order, as it was not proper to embrace | nore than one subject matter under the | Iame head.
 The mayor ruled that the point was well Rken.
 Dr. Robertson contrasted the expenses of | the Charity hospital and the | ,ounty almshouse. He said he had been | 'eiably informed that patients were heated at the almshouse at an average |