Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-23
AGAINST THE CENTER POLE The Mayor and Chairman Ems len Put Their Weight. MIR. HENSON OFFERED To Make Any Changes the Proper Authorities Saw Fit to Require-The Trackage
 Question.

The chairm>A of the street and street railroad committees of the city council and Mayor VanHoose met yesterday morning in the city hall, with Vice Presi- dent and General Manager Robert s. Jem- ison and Superintendent J. B.. McClary of the Birmingham Railway and Electric company; Manager E. E. Williams of the Western Union Telegraph company; George Harris, electrician of the Bir- mingham Railway and Electric company; w. l.. Woodruff, superintendent of the telephone exchange, City Engineer Ken drick and Chief Thad Mullin of the Bir- mingham Fire department.
 The meeting was in pursuance of a mo- ton adopted Thursday night at a meet ing of the street and street railroad cim- mittees of the city council. and was for the purpose of fully Investigating the re- gently erected wires of the Birmingham Railway and Electric company, and also the action of said company in putting down new tracks.
 he stated that the wiring done by his company was on the latest approved plans, and the material used was the best now in operation all over the country. The poles were erected according to the orders of the city engineer, and the feed
 
 stated that his company would make any changes that the city engineer and elec- trician saw fit to have made.
 Manager Williams stated that his wires had not been interfered with by the wires of the electric railway company. The only complaint he had to offer was at the crossing of Thirtieth street and First avenue, where the feed wires come in contact with telegraph pole, though as yet no trouble had been experienced therefrom.
 In answer to this MT. Jemison said his company would remedy this evil, and if the city council saw fit to order his com pany to put in center poles in the streets and remove the poles from the sidewalks this would also be attended to.
 Chairman Enslen and Mayor VanHoose opposed the center-pole proposition.
 MT. Woodruff had no further com plaints to offer than those presented at Thursday nights meeting, which were printed in yesterdays State Herald, and he was satisfied that an amtcable agree ment could be reached by him and MT. Jemison as to guard wires and other nec- eSSary Improvements.
 Chairman Mcknight of the street rail- road committee stated that inasmuch as the matter had been disposed of he sug- gested that an investigation of the new track laid by the Birmingham Railway and Electric company be entered into. This was accordingly done.
 Chairman Mcknight then referred to the new tracks recently laid by the com- pany from Second avenue and Twenty first street to First avenue and Twenty second street, and from Eighteenth street and Second avenue to Eighteenth street and First avenue also the spur track on Minnie avenue at the West End ball park.
 Mr. Jemison claimed that his company, by it's contract with the city, had the right to put in all the tracks mentioned save that at Minnie avenue, and when this track was laid the company was un- der the impression that it was on Sev- enth street and not Minnie avenue. He said his company would remedy any and all defects in the new lines pointed out by the city engineer, and If the city coun- cil refused to grant the company the franchise on Minnie avenue the track would be taken up and the street put in proper repair.
 The mayor called attention to the fact that some of the work was not according Ito law, and the city engineer called atten- tion to some defective grading.
 All these defects MT. Jemison promised to have corrected, and then the city offi- cials held an executive session in regard to the matter. Their deliberat tions will be put into the shape of a report, which will be handed to the city council at its next regular meeting, and it is thought final action will then be reached and the matters disposed of.