The age-herald., 1898-10-18
OfSubuTbanites Against
 Expansion CITY PROPER WILL VOTE FORIT Result of The Age-Herald's Sec
 ond Days Poll. OPPOSITION FROM W00DLAWN 1 Mass Meeting Will Be Held Tonight ard Prott st Filed. MAJOR JOHNSTON EXPLAINS l He Voted For and Supported the broWh Resolution-Did Not Think It Was Right for People l to be Coerced.
Mass Meeting Will Be Held Tonight
 ard Prott st Filed.
MAJOR JOHNSTON EXPLAINS

Four-fifths of the citizens of suburban dis tricts against annexation.
 Three men in thirty of city proper against The suburban districts, unless change of sentiment is brought about, will vote against the annexation proposition. The city of Birmingham proper will vote over whelmingly to take in her smaller neigh bors.
 Herald's poll of the city and surrounding districts continued yesterday. More than 300 men were seen yesterday, making total of almost thousand who have expressed their opinions to reporters of the e-Herad.
 Fully four-ffths of the citizens of sub urban districts express themselves em- phatically against expansion. Among the business men and citizens of Birmingham there are about three men in thirty so far
 as the poll has progressed, who are for an extension of the city limits. Many Of
 these men do not desire to declare them
  enough space to print all of them.
 There is some opposition to the scheme among residents of the city. The majority of such citizens own property in the sub urbs on which they do not desire to pay ad-
 ditional taxes. Others are against it on
 general principles There is another class
 which holds the opinion that the agitation
 is premature.
 The opposition is preparing to fight the
 bill which the city council will ask the legislature to adopt
 City Attorney Lowe returned yesterday from Washington, and he, with Mayor Ev- ans. will go to work at once on the new
 city charter It is a question whether the Greater Birmingham scheme will be nclud- ed in the new charter at first. It may be | decided to put the bill before the legislature | first, and if favorably acted upon, then in- | clude necessary provisions in the charter. Opposition from Woodlawn | Woodlawn's opposition to Greater Bir- | mingham is not only of the passive kind, | but steps are being taken to fight the pro-
 posed annexation of that city to the larger burg of Birmingham
 | With this end in view meeting of all
 citizens interested in the welfare of Wood-
 lawn has been called for tonight in the city l hall Neat little circulars have been printed
 and will be widely distributed through
 Woodlawn and the surrounding country to- l day, and large and representative meet | ing is expected. The meeting is indorsed 1 by a number of the most influential prop | erty owners in Woodlawn.
 | While their plans have not been formu-
 lated yet, it is thought the meeting will
 adopt resolutions heartily 'condemning the
 annexation movement, and will appoint
 committee to look after the city's interests
 and to see that they are not run over with
 out being heard. It is thought that this
 committee will be authorized to go before
 the legislature and make the fight if neces-
 sary.
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 see in your Sundays issue a great cry
 for Greater Birmingham. May I ask for
 what purpose is this cry. Is it for the pur-
 pose of still aiding the five or six squares ! which are now receiving all the benefits | of the present system of street taxes If you will use your eyes you will see that l those that pay the street taxes do not | derive any benefit from it. The laboring
 man is the one that pays the taxes, but
 show me a street below Eighteenth and | hack from Fourth aVenue that has had
 $20 expended on it in the last five l years. The man that pays the taxes
 wades through mud and slush every time
 it rains to his work and back, while the
 merchants and those that do business in
 the center of the city receive the benefit. | Our whole system is false to the core. All
 though I do not belong to the laboring
 classes I am thoroughly in touch with
 them. I am a thorough democrat inas-
 much as that part of their doctrine that l all white men are born free and equal. |