The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-05
Was Placed on Calendar of the
House Yesterday.
SUMMARY OF IT'S FEATURES
The City Authorized to Regulate the
Price ofGas, Water, Electric Lights.
Telephones, Etc.-The Duties of
Mayor and Alderman.

|
for Birmingham was placed on the ealen-
| dar in the house today. The main features
| of the substitute are as follows:
Sections / to 20 inclusive. relate to the
name, boundaries, administration and cleo
ton laws and substantially the same
as The present charter.
Section 20 provides that no ordinance, by
| law, resolution or order shall be passed for
the appropriation of any money or the
granting of any franchise or the mourning
of any obligation the part of the city
until the same shall have been read at
| regular meeting, referred to a committee
| of the board, and reported to a subsequent
meeting, except in case of emergency. This
section is not contained in the old char
ter.
Sectdo-.s 81, % and % relate to the duties
of mayor and aldermen and city officials
and are substantially the same as present
| charter.
Section "a relates to Imprisonment or hard
| labor of city convicts, and provides that
the city may require such convicts to work
upon the streets or elsewhere, but not
women convicts; that prisoners may be
confined either within without the city
| limits within six miles of the city limits,
| provided that no person held under SELL
| tence for violation of the city ordinance
shall be leased or hired out unless such
| person refuses to work.
| Section 70 relates to the general powers
and authority of the city, and contains a
| number of subdivisions enumerating me
| power of the city, which are substantially
| the same the present charter, except as
| follows: Fourth, provides that the city
snail have authority to remove persons in
| tod xfth Oil iza RI cltit al Ia
/ place of detention and there detained for
| a reasonable time, the city to defray the
! expenses of removal and necessary medical
attention. Seventh, to prohibit or regulate
minors appearing on the streets or in pub
| lie places after dark. Eighth, to regulate
| and inspect all dairies in the county of JET
! ferson, the owners of which sell milk IN
/ said city; to regulate and prescribe the
! quality of water and rates to be charged
! therefore within the city limits. Ninth to
! provide by contract or otherwise for gatinS
| of the city by gas, electricity or other sys-
/ tenn for public and private use and to reg
| ulate and prescribe the quality and rates
to be charged to the city and private con-
| sumers; to regulate telephone companies
| and to regulate and prescribe the rates
| thereof, to be charged for telephone service
! within said city, in no event to exceed SS
| per annum for business telephones and S36 |
| per annum for residence telephones. Tenth,
| to regulate slaughter houses and provide |
1Or Inspection OF meat anu SlOch lHteHueo
| for slaughter Eleventh, to require butch |
ers or other persons offering meat for sale |
to exhibit hides, heads, etc, to market clerk
or inspector; provided, this shall not apply |
to persons living outside of the police Jur- |
sdiction and not engaged in the meat or
butcher business therein. Seventeenth re-
lates to the regulation and control of city |
cemeteries and other cemeteries and the |
burial of dead bodies within the police jur |
isdiction of said city. Iwenty-one, to bui:d,
regulate and contract bridges, tunnels, etc,
in improving repairing streets under or
over railroad tracks, etc. Twenty-Five, to |
regulate, control or prohibit the running OF
carS,- trains, ETC., and regulate speed OF
same within the corporate limits oil SAID
city. Twenty-seven, to punish any man, !
who, being physically able to work, fails to
provide for wife, parent or family.
| Section 26 provides that no member of the
board of mayor and aldermen shall be en-
titled to vote on any question in which he
or his employer has a special financial in |
terest at the time of voting or Is interested
at the time of his election.
Sections 81 to SO, inclusive relate to IL |
censing businesses, trades and occupations |
and are substantially the same as now, eX- |
cept that the amounts OF licenses are not |
fixed with reference to any of said bust |
nesseS.
Section 81 is new and provides that the |
license tax may be- fixed upon a basis of |
gross receipts of gas works. electric Hight |
companies and street railway companies |
In lieu of any stated amount.
Section SO provides that the board may !
require street companies to pave be- |
tween thar tracks and eighteen inches en- |
the outside thereof and also where they |
have separate tracks on the same street to |
pave between the tracks, and provides for |
regulating the placing and changing of |
railway tracks in the streets under the d. |
rection of the city engineer
Section 40 provides that the board may |
have power to extend or alter the system |
of sewerage and extend the mains to any |
point in Jefferson county, and provides for |
the power of eminent domain.
Sections Al to 45. inclusive. provide for |
general taxation, including the additional |
tax of one and one-haf per cent. author |
lied by the Birmingham amendment, and |
is practically the same as the present char
ter, except that it provides for a lighter |
penalty for redemption from tax sales IL |
made within thirty days from date of sale, |
in which case the penalty would be % per |
cent. instead of 100 per cent
Section Dc provides for sinking fund |
for the proceeds of taxes under the Biz |
minghan1 amendment to pay interest and |
provides for payments of bonded indebted |
ness
Section AZ provides for street tax and is |
the same as in the present charter
Section as provides city officers shall not |
deal in claims, warrants, ETC., due from the |
city and Is the same as in the present char |
ter.
Section 40 is the same as In the present |
charter and provides for the city holding |
persons charged with offenses against tho |
city and delivering them to the sheriff |
when they are charged with violation of
state law.
Section so is the same as present charter |
and provides for city to turn prisoners over
to the sheriff in case of emergency or lack |
of room.
Section 81 provides for poll tax and Is
tho same as present charter
Section SO provides for construction of I'M
derground sewers and is same as present
charter.
Section 50 contains the school laws and Is |
same as present school laws
Sections "a to 81 inclusive. contain the spe-
cial assessment and street Improvement
laws same as provided In separate bill
now before tho legislature. It provides fer
special assessments for the issuing of GER |
tificates of assessment against the property |