The age-herald., 1901-10-29
CITIZENS PASS RESOLUTIONS
 FOR FRANCHISE Stormy Meeting Held in Rooms of the Commercial
 Club TRANSFER QUESTION UP Several Speakers Want This Made a Condition In the Franchise If the City Council Decides
 to Grant It.
TRANSFER QUESTION UP

Resolved, That 1t is the sense of this meeting that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen be requested, and they are hereby petitioned. to grant perpetual Light and Power Company for the ex- tensions of their present lines in the city of Birmingham, and as applied for by it upon such terms and conditions as may be deemed wise and satisfactory to the board"
 The above resolution offered by Sig Steiner at a meeting of citizens held in the Commercial Club assembly room at Seals Hall yesterday afternoon was adopted.
 The meeting had been called by Culpep- per Exum, president of the Commercial Club. Thirty-five or forty representative citizens were present. and the discussion of the franchise question was quite anil mated.
 J. l.. Yancey offered a resolution, which was debated. but which was finally with drawn. and MT. Steiner and MT. Estes offered amendments which failed to pass.
 The resolution which was adopted was substitute for the whole.
 At few minutes past o'clock MT. Exum rapped the gavel and stated that he had called meeting of the Commer- cial Club at the request of several mem- bers for the purpose of having a discus sion of cert ain matters pertaining to the development of Birmingham. MT. Exum then took his seat ana waited for some body to say something. For at least five minutes silence prevailed. It looked as if the meeting was to be of the Quaker sort.
 One third of those present were not members of the club, but out siders were especially welcome. Mir. Exum said. for the meeting was to be more of citizens affair than for Commercial Club deliberation.
 AS no one seemed disposed to start off Oliver Chalifoux moved that the meeting adjourn. This motion was about to be put when R. H. Pearson rose and said he understood the purpose of the meeting to be to get an expression of the senti- ment of the citizens or the club in regard to the street car franchise. The idea, he said, was this: The Birmingham Rail- way, Light 6 Power Company had asked the mayor and aldermen for a franchise for the extension of It's lines to the sub urbs. The company was ready to do this provided 1t could get proper rights from the city. Heretofore the company had got perpetual franchises. The board of aldermen seem now to object to perpetual franchise. Alderman Ward especially seems to object, continued Mir Pearson. MT Ward wants the franchise for the extension restricted to thirty years.
 To the Interest or Citizens.
 As understand it." said Mir. Pearson, .f& ed now, that the company already pos- sesses on It's existing lines It seems to me that it is to the interest of the citizens that the franchise should be granted The company wants to make the extensions and Is prepared to do the work; but 1t cannot do 1t, nor will 1t undertake to do 1t unless 1t gets the franchise asked for. l am not requestednto come here by the Railway, Light & Power Company. but l come as a citizen in order to show my interest In the extension of the lines. ,, | At this point some one rose and said | he would like to be informed as to all | that the company wanted. He wanted to know just what the company had asked | for.
 MT. Pearson--rhe company asks for a | perpetual franchise. It asks no more than | 1t has had in the past
 Does the company seek any additional rights?" was asked
 | MT. Pearson--None.
 | Sig 5teiner-The company already has | all.
 | Major F. r. Anderson was the next l speaker. He said he had always been op- | posed to perpetual franchises. But this | was a particular case, he said, and should l be considered on its merits He was in | favor of the city granting the company a l 99-year franchise, but he also wanted 1t | fixed so the company would be required | to build the extensions after 1t got the l franchise. It should be made to build the | lines in, say two years. and give s25000 l bond that the work would be done. With | these conditions. Major Anderson de- | clared, he was in favor of letting the company have the franchise. He said he
 had property that would be benefited l by the extension of the lines but he did | not believe in giving the franchise unless
 the extension was going to be made. He l was not in favor of any dog in the man. | ger policy. If the city keeps other people
 from building he protested. 1t will be do-
 ing wrong. He emphasized the impor- l tance of requiring the company to do the | work after 1t got what 1t asked for.
 Favored Thirty Years.
 B. B. Conner made speech in favor of the tnirty-year restriction. He pointed out that the Constitutional Convention. composed of the best men in Alabama,