The age-herald., 1901-10-16
'CLARY TALKS OF
 STREET RAILWAYS Census Figures Kept Conven- ton Away from Birmingham LONGER CARS ARE NEEDED Twenty Elegant Cars VIII Soon Be Running on Ensley and Traction
 Lines-Jemison and MccIeary
 Return From New York.
LONGER CARS ARE NEEDED

The annual convention of the American Street Railway Association which met at Madison Square Garden, New York, last week was of much interest to presidents and managers of street car lines" said J. B. McClary. manager of the railway department of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power Company yesterday. MT. Jemison and I worked hard to swing the next convention to Birming- ham, but Detroit got 1t. We will keep on trying however. and will probably sue ceed a year or two hence
 You know what makes against Bir- mingham away from home?' continued MT. McClary. "It is our low census rating. Here we have a street car popu- lation of 100, 900; but when we claim that number, the fellow to whom you are talking pulls out of his vest pocket a little | book of statistics and turning to the list | of cities reads, Birmingham, Ala. 98, 415. 1 When we were fighting to capture the
 convention our small population was
 urged against us. The statement about
 Greater Birmingham was of no avail. The reply in opposition to us was in- variably, we must go by the United States census returns
 The Census item.
 And everywhere Birmingham people go
 in the East and North they are con-
 fronted with that census item. 3s,4 AIS. The
 suburbs should have been annexed prior | to 1900 It would be well to start an
 expansion movement now and not wait
 until 1908. If this matter Is delayed we
 might find ourselves unexpanded when | the census enumerators come round in | 191O."
 | Asked about the proceedings of the street railway convention MT. McClary
 said There were about 1000 delegates
 in attendance. double the number of those who attended when first joined the as- | sociation. A few years ago the discus
 sions were concerning horse cars. We
 used to have profound debates on feed and harness and straw for the stall beds. | Now we discuss rails and wheels and the 1 lengthening of cars: speed and suburban | and interurban traffic; the carrying oi
 mall and the handling of milk trains. "The tendency of the association a! 1 lhiS COuVtIllOn was TOT larger cars. Cltlef 1 like Cleveland and Detroit are alread,
 using cars sixty feet long.
 Local Improvement. | Speaking of improvements on the lineI of the Birmingham Railway, Light ant
 Power Company, MT. McClary said 'tha by the middle of November twenty ele l gant cars now being built for the com pany in St. Louis would be completed and 1 put in service. These cars are to be fin.
 ished in mahogany. They will be forty. two feet long and will be equipped with | four motors-200- horse power.
 1 The company is now operating forty
 five cars forty-two feet long. but they l have only two motors. The new cars will
 be run on the Ensley and the Traction
 lines. and as soon as they be installed l twenty of the forty-five cars of forty-two feet will be run on the city division. They are now distributed over the East Lake
 Ensley, Powderly and Traction lines. MT ] McClary said that other large improve
 ments were in sight, but the twenty pow | erful four motor cars would perhaps be
 of greatest interest to the public at this l time.