The age-herald., 1900-09-23
VAIN TO OPPOSE
 A NEW CITY HALL For All the Monetary Arrange
 mentS Are Made. AND WITHOUT OPPOSITION City Council Waited in Vain One Week After All Arrangements Had
 Been Made for Opponents
 to Show Up

The position taken by pr. F. D. Majors concerning the building of the new city hall, as he expressed himself in yester- days issue of the Age-Herald, has caused considerable talk among city officials and others interested in municipal affairs pr. Majors argued that the time was not ripe for building the hall, the present fnan- cial condition of the city would not war rant the expenditure He also appeared to oppose the plan of the Mayor and Board or Aldermen to leave space in the building for stores to be rented to merchcants. Several of the officials were interviewed, and some interesting arguments have been brought out.
 Mayor Drennen said: "The necessary resolutions and ordinances have been passed, and under instruction from the board I have already signed a contract for the money with which to erect new city hall, at cost not exceeding s2OO,OOO,
 and three new school buildings at a cost
 not exceeding s5O,OOO. Discussions as to the feasibility of erecting a new hall are too late. as all arrangements have been made to soon begin the work"
 Speaking of the expense of the new build ing, Mr. Drenen added: 'I estimate that ehS iCNcHuo lO De ueTlVeQ rom fenIdlS III
 the new city hall will come within a few
 hundred dollars of paying the entire inter- est on the amount borrowed at per cent to erect this building. It will be of i'm mense benefit to the city of Birmingham to have a large and substantial city hall. We need a hall where public gatherings can be had free of charge. We also need joint armory for the local military com pany, and several of our citizens are very enthusiastic over the idea of establishing a public library in the building.
 q am sure that when the new city hall is completed Birmingham will have one of the finest municipal buildings in the South"
 Alderman J. J. Altman ~as out of his office when the reporter called, but a friend of his said the following were Colonel Alt mans views:
 Colonel Altman opposed action upon this subject in the beginning. His object among other things, was to allow the people of the city to express their views. He went so far as to defer legislation by asking that the report of the committee on a new city hall be re-referred for full and due consideration. This was in bitter opposi- ton to some of his colleagues; but his ob- jest was to have an expression from those in the city who might oppose the proposi- tion. No objection was entered although one week was passed in waiting to hear oppositions and this fact led to the belief that the people were in favor of building a city hall. His object in voting for the erection of this building was not of opposition to the real estate owners of the city. His purpose was not to come in com petition with them. He was merely follow ing a precedent set by his predecessors in the early eighties. He noticed by the record and by the corner stone of the present city ing official names appear as having been in power and directed the erection of the present city hall and market building:
 Thomas Jeffers, Mayor; c. T. Hardeman, B. A. Thompson, F. D. Nabers, M. H. Jordan, J. l.. Lockwood, F. L. Wadsworth, T. Y. Cain, William Hood, aldermen. 1881.
 "He also noticed that ordinances were completed, and unanimously adopted, con- polling all butchers or dealers in green meats in the city to close and vacate all stores then leased and to offer their goods only at the city market. As will be seen, F. D. Nabers' name appears as an alder man who voted for this ordinance. He Is large taxpayer and an influential and rep resentative citizen and Colonel Altman con- sidered that his vote on such a measure was representative of the class of citizens to which he belonged