The age-herald., 1901-10-03
TROLLEY LINES
 AND THE COUNCIL Franchises Confirmed to the
 Consolidated Company AND DOLLAR GAS ASSURED Alderman Gray's Amendment Provides That the Company Shall Pay It's
 Pro Rata Share of Improve
 ments Already Made.
AND DOLLAR GAS ASSURED

Illuminating gas Is now Sl.26 per thou sand cubic feet, and fuel gas Is $100 per 1 thousand feet.
 These prices are effective from the date of October l. After July 1. 1902, the price of all gas will be s1 per thousand feet.
 This reduction results from the passage by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen last night of the ordinance giving to the consolidated Birmingham Railway, Light and Power Company all the franchises. contracts and powers enjoyed by the old Railway, Electric Lighting and Gas Com panies previous to their consolidation.
 At the meeting of the Board of Alder men last night the ordinance granting the consolidated company the concessions heretofore given the separate companies was read in the joint report of the finance judiciary and street railroad committee. This report was read by Alderman Thach. It favored the passage of the ordinance
 Ward Objects.
 On motion the ordinance was put on its second reading. Then a motion was made to place the ordinance on its third read ing and final passage. Alderman Ward objected to the passage and asked the members to vote nay. He said the grant should not be made and the powers not granted the consolidated company on ac- count of the duty owed to posterity.
 The question was not discussed by other Aldermen. On a vote to adopt, the ordin- ance was passed with MT. Wards as the only dissenting vote.
 While the discussion was in progress, a letter of the company was read. In this letter the company proposed to furnish after October l, 1901, Illuminating gas at $1.26 and fuel gas at $700 providing bills are paid before the 10th day of the month following that when bill Is contracted In cases where the bill is not paid until them, the prices will be s1.40 and s1.10. After October l, 1902, the price of all gas will be 5000 net, with 10 cents added after the 10th of the month.
 New Franchises.
 The ordinance granting to the compa- ny franchise for the operation of street railway lines on 78 blocks of the city streets was reported uy t.. oint judicia- ry. finance and street railroad commit tees. The report recomm ended the ac- ceptance of the bid of $1UO per block for the franchise and the passage of the or uinance.
 Alderman Gray offered an amendment to the effect that where tne company agrees to pay for Improvements on abut- ting property heretofore made in pro rata snare such payments be in advance on an estimate furnished by the city attor- ney.
 Alderman Ward then asked If the grant | of franchise was perpetual or limited to | term of years. To the question MT. | Jemison replied that the franchises were l perpetual.
 Mir Thach moved that the report of | the committee be adopted. MT. Ward | secured the attention of the mayor and | being granted the floor made a protest 1 against the passage of the ordinance. In l lne talk he referred 70 the granting of l perpetual franchises as being crime that l would result in lynching throughout the l east just as in .--e SOUL. negroes are 1 lynched for unmentionable crimes He | continued for several minutes during | which he state.- that the seventy-eight | blocks make about seven miles of track | and that in the capitalization of the con- I pany at $11000. 900 there were $9, GOO, 600 for I street railways. '"The company" he said, I "has 100 miles of track which Is therefore capitalized at s9O0OO per mile. Seven times that Is $63O0O0, from which subtract l s130,000 for equipment, and we have $5O0,- | 900 as the value of the franchise you are | now giving away free. I now offer an l am endment as follows:
 That the contract shall expire twenty l five years from date of signing same and that the Birmingham Railway Light and Power Company shall pay unto the city 1 treasurer $25,Gv0 cash as consideration 1 therefor"
 | When this was read MT. Jemison, who was nearby, said his company would not want franchise under his amendment | The report was finally concurred in, l after which the ordinance and all amend ments were referred to the judiciary com mittee.
 Alderman Gray's Amendment. In explanation of Alderman Gray's amendment as to street Improvements already made along the proposed new | lines, 1t may be stated that 1t Is provided that the company shall pay its share of such Improvements the same as if the 1 improvements were made at the time the | tracks were being laid. That Is to say, I when new track Is laid along a street already "cherted' or otherwise perma- nently improved the company shall pay into the city treasury its pro rata share of such improvement, although the cost | has been already paid by the property owners. Alderman Gray estimates that the company will thus pay into the city treasury something like $200 a block. ROUTINE WORK OF
 THE AlDERMANIc BOARD | The meeting of the Mayor and Board |