The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-01-16
COUNCIL REFUSES
| To REMOVE STANDS
FROM SIDEWALKS
Unfavorable Action on Com
merciaI Clubs Petition
Against Nuisance
, GREEKS ARE PRESENTED
Had Petition With Names of Over
1000 Cltizens-crusade May
Lead to Future Action
On Question.
GREEKS ARE RE PRESENTED

The City Council last night by vote
of 10 to decided to disallow the petition
of the Commercial Club and many cit
liens to have the licenses of the fruit
stands doing business on the sidewalk
revoked.
The motion to disallow the petition
land and those voting for 1t were Alder
men Wheeler, Greener, Kerr, Copeland.
Cd. r., Moore, Copeland. q. r.. Nc
Nally, Gum, Altman, Thach, Jones, Har-
rington Stockmar.
Those who voted against the motion
were Mayor Drennen and Aldermen Li;s-
nehan, Ward and Heidi.
The petition of the Commercial Club
and citizens favoring the removal of the
stands was presented by Mr.. G. II, Estes
who made speech advocating 1T. The
petition was about 25 or 80 feet long, but
Mr.. Estes said he did not know how
many names were on 1t.
A counter petition was presented by Mr..
A. o. Lane signed by 1869 citizens. Mr..
Lane spoke IN its favor as did Mr.. B. NJ
Allen. None of the Aldermen made any
remarks on the subject except that AL
dermen Altman and Heidi explained their
votes.
One result of the anti-fruit stand crus-
ade, however, was the adoption of the fol-
lowing resolution offered by Alderman
Ward:
Resolved. That the city attorney be in
structed to draw an ordinance making
1t unlawful for any obstruction or goods
or wares or opening of any kind be al
lowed on any sidewalk and that all laws
in opposition hereto be repealed"
Presented Club Resolution.
Mr.. Estes in presenting the petition said
1t was his pleasure and he considered
1t an honor, to present to the board the
following resolutions:
Resolved, by the Commercial Club,
that the mayor and board of aldermen
be requested not to issue any further
licenses for fruit stands outside of store
houses and that a committee of three
be appointed to present this resolution
to the council
behind that resolution gentlemen "
he continued, have this: "s''
Here he unrolled petition about rs
feet long protesting against the granting
of licenses to fruit stands on the side
walks. The wording of the petition Is as
follows:
ITO the Honorable Mayor and Board of
Aldermen:
1--WE, the undersigned respectfully re-
txat 10, frttff
stands on the sidewalks In said city and
If any have been granted that they be
revoked or cancelled and that said stands
be removed from the sidewalks"
At this point about 80 Greeks who had
attended the meeting crowded up to lis
ten:
Mr. Estes continued by saying that 1t
was not legal to allow the stands on the
sidewalks-that the rights of the public
to the streets could not be taken and
given to individuals. The streets and
sidewalks belong to the people Therefore
the rents from the sidewalks, II 1t were
legal for them to be occupied by mer-
chants should belong to the people and
the owner of corner store should not
derive rent from a sidewalk which was
public-both license and rent should go
to the city,
Stands Are Filthy.
"These fruit stands are a nuisance. they
are abomnible and filthy. 1t is not 80
much the fault Of the men who run the
stands, they create trash and filth neces-
sarily. These stands are not merely fruit
stands but are retail grocery concerns.
''If this Is true there should be no dis
elimination and the fruit stands should
only be allowed to run six days In the
week like other retail merchants.
'These fruit vendors are similar to the
Cbinamen: they do not build up a town,
but send their earnings to the old coun-
try. which should we encourage. our
home merchants who buy lands here and
build up the city or these foreigners?
..It seems to me-" said Mr.. Estes, ut
lie case of choosing between John Smith.
mosthenes, Thuciddes and Aristotle"
(Applause.)
Mr.. Estes then called attention to the
condition of certain streets taken up by
fruit stands, mentioning among others
the Peerless saloon corner and the Bes-
serner dummy station. He was applaud
ed as ne concluded
Presents Creeks Petition.
Attorney A. o. Lane then presented
petition signed by 1869 citizens, asking
that Mr. Estes petition be not granted.
and that the fruit stands remain on the
sidewalks.
Mr.. Lane said that IL the Estes petition
was granted the board as a matter of
honesty. could not revoke the licenses
MISUNDERSTANDING the money already paid
in. which amounted to several thousand
dollars.
"what do they want with the side
walksf' asked Mr. Lane. They are
broad enough for all purposes"
'"rhey remind me- he said, ''of a Con-
federate soldier who was captured during
the war. What are you fighting forT he
was asked by a Yankee we are fighting
for squatter sovereignty replied the Con-
federate what is THAR asked the
Yankee ID IL 1 know, said the Con-