The age-herald., 1900-06-26
CITIZENS MEETING
 RAISES A PROTEST
(continued from Fifth Page).


 >~-~~~~-o~~~"~~-~-~---~- ------@-"-7---~>-~~-~-~~ ham, in the very center of the cheapest coal field in the world, should have it.
 MT. March stated that Atlanta did not use coal in making gas. T. H. Molton-I think it is two big a question to act on with haste and l move an amendment that the resolution offer ed by Captain White be referred to a com mittee for investigation.
 Captain White-The city council meets tonight to act on the question and now is the time to express our views on the mat ter
 L. J. Haley seconded MT. Notions amendment and said he believed the City Council would defer action on the matter for a while if requested to do so.
 Alderman McNally stated that he be- lieved that the Council would defer to the wishes of this meeting
 w. J. Wheeler-I have attended several meetings of the Commercial Club and have noticed that the way to kill anything has always been to adjourn. 1 don't say that is the intention of this motion. but it will have that effect.
 Frank Leslie-To pass MT Notions amendment without a request that the Mayor and Board of Aldermen be request GU to postpone acUOn on the 1ranCnlSe ordinance to date not longer off than two weeks would be to do away with the very purposes of this meeting.
 A substitute to MT. Notions amendment was offered requesting the City Council not to pass on the contract until it had been fully discussed by the citizens. MT Motion accepted the substitute, and speak ing of 1t, said the question of the new con tract had not been discussed by many per sons in Birmingham, and that the Age Herald was the only paper in the city that had discussed it at all.
 MT. Conner Talks
 B. B. Comer-I have heard more gas this afternoon than I ever heard before. 1 have heard that franchises and contracts were different, that at the end of seven years the Gas Company's contract would eX- pre, but the franchise would go Let us take plenty of time in making this new. contract; let there be no chance for talk of scandal. We have borne the present contract thirteen years, and. it has only seven years more to run. Let us investi- gate the question thoroughly.
 Mir. nh ,ies on the situation
 Rufus N. Rhodes-I am not in favor of catching any corporation by the throat and fixing it's price, If this committee, after making investigation, reports that the company would only earn reasonable profit on the investment at the proposed price, then l would favor the acceptance of the proposed contract, but if they can make it any cheaper and still earn good profit, then l would favor a lower price to consumer.
 The previous question on the Motion amendment was called and the vote re- suited in its defeat.
 The |. esoiution Adopted
 John w O'Neil offered the following as a substitute for the whole:
  Resolved, That the sense of this meeting is opposed to the adoption of ' ! the proposed contract between the city and the Birmingham Gas Company at ; the present time and, pending a full investigation on the part of a commit | tee of citizens, the Board of Aldermen be requested to postpone action. ' Resolved, further That a committee of five be appointed to present this resolution to the Board of Aldermen, : and that a further committee of seven : be appointed to investigate this matter fully and report to d future citizens meeting"
 This substitute was accepted by Captain White.
 Alderman McAnally said The Ags-Herald had asked the Mayor and Aldermen to get dollar gas, and that they had done the best they could He said he didn't think they ought to be condemned now. MT. Barrett said such was not the inten- ton of the substitute and that the cti- Zens had faith in the committee that fla vorably reported the contract. But the people ought to have chance for full and free discussion.
 Alderman Kerr said that the question of dollar gas had been thoroughly investigated by the Mayor and Aldermen and that ac- ton on the new contract had been post poned heretofore for the purpose of allow ing free and full discussion, and this he said had been accomplished. The ONeill substitute was adopted unan- imously. The chair announced that he would name the committee to investigate the gas quos- ton later He appointed the committee to go before he. City Council fast night and present the resolution adopted by the meet ing, as follows: John w. O'Neill, chairman; ; Frank s. White, E. w. Barrett, T. H. Mol ton and S. Steiner.
 On motion the meeting adjourned, subject to call of the chair.