Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-30
THE CITY FATHERS
Hold Another Session-The License and Garbage Question-No Monkey
 Business Will Be Tolerated.

The special meeting of the mayor and
 board of aldermen was called to order
 yesterday afternoon at 4:9O.
 The board went at once into executive
 session to consider the license question,
 which resulted as follows:
 LICENSE CHARGES. Dealers in scrip, $150.
 Brewers, brewers agents and whole sailing beer, $500.
 Tailors doing their own work, exempt.
 Dealers in sewing machines $50.
 OPEN SESSION. At the open session the license of $50
 on furniture dealers was called up. It
 was argued that it would be just to regulate the license according to the stock carried by the dealer. Last year the
 small dealer paid $15 and the larger
 $50. The matter was referred to the mis-
 ce1laneous committee for consideration. Alderman Altman moved that litho-
 graphers license be stricken from the list. Carried.
 Alderman Henchel moved that the li- cense on occulists be changed to read so as to except from such license jewellers and watch dealers.
 Alderman Kerr called up the petition on oil license and the same was referred to the miscellaneous committee. Alderman Altman moved the adoption of the license as whole as amended. Carried.
 Chairman Rainbow of the market com mittee. asked that $15 additional to the $100i be allowed for the repairing of the roof of. the marlket house, which the com
 mittee had ascertained sleeded attention, not included in the first appropriation. The amount was allowed. Alderman Rainbow stated that the market clerks time had expired and there is no janitor.
 The mayor stated that it has been the l.1.I1 his successor has been selected; that the board did not care to take action in max ing this appointment until the board Of health shall have selected sanitary inspector.
 The garbage contract called forth con- sidera ble discussion. Wheeler & CO, whose bid of $62455 had been received signified their desire to turn the con tract over to c. M. Burkhalter & Co.,, who would take the contract, and asked through their attorney that they be re, leved, stating, however, that they would carry out the contract if the board so de- sired; but that Burkhalter & Go. have al- ready crematory, and having agreed to relieve them of their contract at thelr bid, they would rather, if it was agree able to the board, to be released from the contract Alderman Graham objected to trans ferfing the contract and insisted that Wheeler & Co. be requested to carry out their contract.
 Alderman McCartin said that he was informed that Wheeler & Co. did not consider the crematory question when | they made their bid, and were not in condition to carry out their contract, and there was no provision made relative to cremating the garbage in the contract. | Alderman Altman moved that com mittee of three be appointed, with the mayor as chairman, to make contract for the disposition of the garbage. Said he did not like this way of bidding off contracts and transferring them to oth- ers--this board don't want any monkey business-it looks too much like playing the new board as suckers" and he wanted it understood at the beginning that this board will countenance no fool ishness, and if contractors don't propose to stand up to their contracts they ought not to make them.
 It was stated that Burkhafter & Co. have expended $10000 for a crematory. expecting to obtain the garbage contract. they did the work last year for $500, and their bid this year was $750, Wheeler x Co bidding $625. It was also stated that an agreement has been reached between Wheeler & Go. and Burkhalter & Co. that the latter should take the bid for which it was awarded.
 l Alderman Altman called for his mo- tion that 8 committee of three be ap- pointed, with the mayor as chairman, to close up the garbage contract. Said he thought if the contractors could do the work this year for $500 they ought to be able to do it next year for that amount. The motion was carried, and there being no objections, the mayor appointed AL dermen Kerr and McCartin to act with him in the garbage matter. There being no further business. the board adjourned to meet next Wednes- day night in regular session.