The age-herald., 1901-08-23
They Claim the Space in City Hall is Too Small
MEETING TO BE CALLED SOON
Meat Men Say If the City Will Grant Their Petition They Will Have
 a Market Ready for occu- @t paney by October I. i..5

Tho situation between the butchers and the City Council remains practically un- changed The butchers are waiting to see what the City Council will do with their petition, and the City Council is waiting to hear expressions of opinion from the people.
 Mayor Drennen will call a meeting Of the council some time within the next week to take action on the matter.
 At the time plans were drawn for the new city hall, the butchers petitioned the City Council to have a market in con- nection with 1t. There has always been a market underneath the city hall ever since it was built, about 1879. Acceeding to this request. a market was arranged for in the new building, with a space of 56x7S feet
 This the butchers claim is too small iri fact, according to their measurements, the space Is 54x67 feet in the clear What the council will do in the matter is not known. but as the old market brought in between five and six thousand dollars rental, they may not agree as the butch CTS desire not to rent 1t as a market, in case the butchers establish their new market on the corner of Eighteenth street and Fourth avenue. Moreover, the fact that this part of the city hall building was designed expressly for market may interfere in it's being used for other pur- poses.
 Room for Display.
 This part of the city hal1 sets back from the property line about four feet" said Mayor Drennen yesterday in dis cusslng the matter. This was designed to give room for display of meats, etc. In case it Is not used as a market, there would be room enough for three stores Whether they would rent to advantage. considering this set in of four feet, I am unable to say. expect to call meeting of the council within the next week, and expect the council will do whatever the public desires in the matter"
 The butchers claim that the proposed space is too small, in that it Is only about half the size of the old market. The building that Is proposed to be erected for them by Flies & Son will have floor space of 100x140 feet.
 "There is only room enough in the city hall market for about eight stalls," said j. J. Platten, president of the Birmingham Market Company, yesterday in speaking of the matter. we have eighteen stalls now occupied, and there are four or five more butchers waiting to come in. We are anxious to have decision from the City Council, as the lease on part of our present building expires October and the lease on the remaining portion by Novem- Der l.
 A Proposition.
 'If the City Council will allow us to oc- cupy the proposed building and will agree not to rent out for market purposes that portion of the new city han designed for a market we will have the new building on Eighteenth street ready by October l. Work will be carried on night and day If necessary. The market in the new city haIl is entirely inadequate. The fire de- partment is next door, and there would be such continuous crowd of vehicles sur rounding the market as to be source of danger when the fire apparatus responds to an alarm. We believe the city could find other uses for this space in the city hall, and we hope they will accede to our petition"