The age-herald., 1900-02-08
THE MAYOR SUBMITS HIS ANNUAL
 MESSAGE ID THE CITY COUNCIL

tuted, consits of one chief, one night cap tain. one day sergeant. one dest sergeant. thirty-two patrolmen and one patrol driver.
 The total expense of this department for the year 1899 was $37, ,264.32 The total cash receipts, fines and fees collected. amounted to S6,SO3S6 as against $10,04667 in 1898, an increase of S6,757.19, or sixty-seven per cent During the first four months of the year 1899 under the former administration the total collections were $3,722&. a monthly average of S930.H. During the last eight months, which were under this administra- tion, the collections were s13,0S091, a monthly average of $1. .635.11, an increase in monthly average of s504.37, or fifty-four per cent and this with an addition of only two Datrolmen to the force.
 City Jail
 The present arrangement for the care of prisoners Is pressing for attention, and provision should at once be made for more suitable quarters. The city jail was de- signed for a limit of seventy prisoners while the number incarcerated often ex- -ceeds one hundred and twenty-five. This condition is intolerable, and a graver measure of criminality morally attaches to the city for maintaining it, than is charged against many of the unfortunate inmates. Punishment for ordinary misdemeanor should never be inhuman, and certainly
 
 necessary creature comforts. Further more, any arrangement that does not pro vide for complete separation by color as well as. by sex, is totally inadequate. The inferior court, cognizant of this crowded condition of the jail, is frequently under constraint to impose fine below the grav.- ly of the offense committed, and the mayor under the same duress, is forced to make releases, in order that new offenders may be admitted
 certainly recommend that you take un- der consideration the construction of stockade on a suitable location and l am sure the cost of such a structure as would meet existing demands would not reasona- bly, fall below 12,50O.
 The effort of this board to obtain lower rates is now involved in litigation, and must await adjustment by the court.
 The Birmingham Water Works company in its contract with the city agrees that the water furnished shall be c,ear whole some and suitable for all domestic pur- poses" This part of their contract they have not at all times complied with, nor do they evince an intention of any closer com- pliance in the future. It is not doubted that water "clear, wholesome and suitable" could be obtained from the present source of supply, and that the water works com pany is abundantly able to furnish 1t; yet
 
 the risk of typhoid epidemic next summer as virulent as that of last summer. Within the past two years a committee was appointed by the board of aldermen to consider questions relating to the Birming- ham Water Works company. A statement of the water works company to that com- mittee showed that the average cost for water service to a dwelling was $16.SS per annum. A new schedule of rates offered by the company reduced this average rate to S1425 If dividend paying private corpor- ation can offer a reduction of 10 per cent. on dwellings as compromise peace offering Tn order to secure concessions elsewhere. the city as owner of the water works would have made this or greater reduction, with out conditions attached. For water furnish ed the city on it's corporate account the contract rate is 15 cents per thousand gal- Ions: other consumers in the city, with no greater consumption, have rate more than 40 per cent below this.
 The time has come when our bondage to the Birmingham Water Works company should end and its yoke of oppression De lifted from the necks of the peope' an op- pression that bears with peculiar force upon the man with a small home and limited means. ,
 We want a sy-.em eff water supply, ,le tstue to which is vested .n the board or mayor and aldermen cf B.rmdngham. fup lie interest is impatient of the contract system, and public interest oeiiiahos Pu"''o service.
 Hinder o,lr present contract with the Con- so1,tHp.ed Electric Light company the c1ty is having at the rate of $10S per annum for tq,e first 15O arc flights cf 1000 candle power. and at the rate of $102 per annum Tor all nieIhts of the same intensity 1n excess or tGhat number. We have in use TIT Hghls that, accordingto the terms of the contract cost us last year SlS,9o4. .ooo This contract expires September D, lsoO. I regard these rates as excessive, and ad- wise against renewal of the contract.
 Sanitation
 From no one source has grown tthe Of fine trouble and annoyance to officials and the public alike that the present arrange ment for sanitation is caussng..
 This evil belongs mot to the present only, bul has afflicted us for several years pasf' Our present contract provldes TOT ."eN. double teams with two men to eacn, atlu seven single teams with one man to each; this force to be on duty at all times Imere are two neacth officers to look after Vne faithful execution of this contract me contractor selects his own dumping grounds, as many in number as ne oesires' and changes from one to the other at wall. Under such circumstances 1t Is OBVIOUSLY extremely difficult for the officers to keep any check on the force employed
 This contract expires on the l5oh day or June next: and there should never be an other one made
 have made an estimate on the outlay that would be required for the cbty to un- dertake this work and find that Ut WITH not exceed S4,500
 With the prison force that could b. made avala ble for this service, certainly no con- t actor could do the work cheaper, and few would do it more thoroughly.
 The Contract system
 We are now, soon will be, face ito face With propositions to renew certain con- tracts or to enter into new ones. We may Joe forced by circumstances to resort to temporary contracts for what we are un- able at present to obtain otherwise.
 I regard the entire contract system as a thing to be abhorred and shunned. The
 DuHy's M zam