The age-herald., 1902-01-30

FoWer Company is making satisfactory progress in its extensive and costly im- provemefits.
 The tracks on Twenty-f1rst street be- tween Second and Sixth avenues have
 been relaid with ss pound steel rails. Heavy cross ties and rock ballast have been used and the rails have been rlvet- ct fin the most substantial manner. Seventy pound rails are being laid on
 the East Lake line. Work started at
 East Lake is being pushed to the end of the road. When that section Is compiet- ed the track layers will work from East Lake towards Birmingham.
 Work of reconstructing the Bessemer line Is progressing rapidly. It is to be double tracked from this city to the Fair Grounds, nearly four miles, A single | track, it is thought, will be adequate from the Fair Grounds to Bessemer for
 the present, but eventually the entire line
 will be double track. Genera Manager George H. Davis has not yet decided
 ~-s-<<>S-<e -ts-~&4~%- S-%~~~~~~~@~S first to give his views. He said his people were considerably divided, and that they | thought that for four or five years they could do better for themselves than Bir- mingham could do for them. They were to have Q mass meeting next Tuesday night to discuss the matter. They had decided to increase their tax rate to $1. which would give them sufficient revenue. He thought the time would come, how ever, when they would all be one city. MT. H. c. Miller of East Lake said that the citizens of that place had had a meet l ing last night to discuss the matter There were some who favored Greater Birm- | ingham, some who were opposed to it, and others who had not made up their minds. They wanted to know what | schools would be given them, whether sa- looms would be allowed, and what repre- | sentation they would have. committee from East Lake, he said, was present and would report to a mass meeting of their
 citizens next Monday night when a more | definite opinion could be obtained ENsLEY OPPOSED TO IT.
 Dr. R. Cunningham of Ensiey was then called on. He said he held no com
 mission from the people of Ensley and
 that what he said was chiefly his own views. That the people of Ensley were practically unanimously opposed to annex alton. This movement. however, was a great one. He believed that a great me- tropolitan city in the district would add to the wealth of the town from centre to circumference. This was an age of trusts and combinations If the justice and equity of this annexation can be shown to the suburban towns he would favor it. It was to the interest of Birmingham but suburban towns wanted to know something of the tax rate and the repre- sentation they would be allowed. Birmingham now owes. he thought about IS per cent of its assessed valuation Ensley owed nothing and they felt that if they came into Birmingham before they were annexed that they should have debt of similar per centage. Gaughter)
 He told a story of A. owing $1O,OOo. asking to become his partner. If B was a man of sense he would ask where do come in?' What do get?" and A might reply as could Birmingham, "The glory of being associated with me- Laugh- ter) He thought Birmingham should pay to Ensley one-seventh the amount of its debt before Ensley came in. He then told the story of the stomach with the arms and Jews working for it and said that 1t was to Birmingham's interest to become the stomach and have the suburbs the appendages. This was largely true now on account of economic laws.
 He spoke of the advantages which En- sley now enjoyed saying, it had city hall, saloons and other things that Birm- ingham had. He said Ensley would not long be a suburb but great competitor of Birmingham.
 ADVANTAGES IN ONE WAY.
 In spite of this he thought it to the interest of Ensley, Pratt City and wylam to consolidate with Birmingham If Birm- ingham would give them sum equal to their proportionate amount of it's debt. Birmingham must approach Ensley in a business way. Ensley had some disad- vantages he would admit. It was the only city its size in the country to which a railroad ticket could not be bought He favored heartily the movement for a Greater Birmingham but consolidation must be on a business basis. The su- burbs must know positively what they are to have
 Mayor w. J. Outlaw of Pratt City was called on but he said he had come to look on and had nothing to say.
 MT. E. E. Blackburn of Elyton said that like Dr. Cunningham he held no commis- sion from his town. He. however beiev- ed that fully 95 per cent of its people were opposed to annexation on any terms. That movement was on foot to incor- porate the town. Elyton did not owe a dollar and if they were taken in they thought they should get better terms than other towns which had debts.
 we are one people in one valley" he said. land 1t strikes me the vital ques- ton Is the health of our public I would rather myself see a little heavier taxa tion than see the walls of our cemeteries bursting with untimely graves" Bir- mingham. its suburbs and the surround ing rural country are all dependant on the growth and health of Birmingham and as the building of the great county sewer is charged to the whole county 1 think the farmers ought to have some- thing to say about this consolidation. If the majority of ,--e county should say to the suburbs that the health of the county demands you should be taken in then. I think, the suburbs should do so. These are my individual views
 LEAVE IT TO VOTE.
 MT. W. E. Hansberger of North Bir- mingham said that in view of what had been said and in view of the fact of the instructions given him by mass meet ing of citizens of North Birmingham last night, he would ask that the question of annexing North Birmingham be left to a primary of it's people. If this was not done he had been instructed to oppose annexation on any terms
 Mir. T. M. Dyer of Smithfield said he
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