The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-04
Thanks Committee for Not
Agreeing TO Miners Plan,
IN CONTRACT
Matter of Street Car Tickets Is Dis.
cussed and Committee Appointed
to Increase License Taxes
of the Company.

After hearing lengthy statement by
Maj. w. j. Miner. chairman of the Com
mercial club committee on the water
rates. recommending the resolution Of
fered by him to the joint committee of
the board of trade committee and the
Commercial Club committee, the Board
of Trade yesterday afternoon adopted
resolution unanimously thanking its
committee for withdrawing from the
joint committee and refusing to stay and
sanction by its presence the resolution
adopted by the Commercial club commit
tee The Board of Trade then accepted
the report of its committee. which re-
port calls for the city to issue bonds and
build plant of its own or to purchase
the present plant.
The vote of thanks was offered by ].
Mccary and seconded by several menu
bers. When put by Mr.. Mccary 1t was
carried unanimously. Mr. McCary said
that the endorsement of the action of the
committee left no doubt as to the stand
the Board of Trade took on the subject.
and that he thought the committee should
be thanked by the board. The resolution
followed the report of Chairman John
w. O'Neil, of the Board of Trade COM
mittee. who stated that he and President
Collins were present at the Joint session,
and that when he heard this resolution
of Major Miners offered, he did not
think II accorded with the feelings Of the
members of the Board of Trade, or with
the objects of the committee appointed
and that he asked to be allowed to with
\. ., To
said that there were several sections to
the report which he did not think would
do the people of Birmingham any good
If passed and adopted by the city coun-
Gil, and agreed to by the water COM
pany. He then submitted the following
report:
o'NeiI's Report.
1.-The undersigned committee, appointed
by the Board of Trade on the question
of water rates and to confer with a sim
liar committee from the Commercial
club. submits the following report;
your committee met with the commit
tee of the Commercial club, and re-
port prepared by the chairman of the
Commercial club committee was submit
ted to be recommended by the two COM
mittees. A copy of this proposition is
hereto attached and made a part of this
report
your committee not only did not de-
| sire to concur in said report on account
of certain matters hereinafter mentioned.
| but because your committee did not feel
| authorized to do so.
1.-The committee does not concur in the
statement in said report that the city is
10 H. 80. -
water company, as the city authorities
have more than once questioned the con-
tinuance of said contract because of vio-
| lations of the contract by the water COM
pany, nor does 1t concur in the statement
that said contract has been upheld by
the courts.
THE committee further does not con-
cur in said report in summarily and with
out investigation declaring that the pro-
position for the city to issue bonds and
construct a system of water works for
the municipality is so remote a possibility
as to be unworthy of serious considera-
ton at this time.
Opposes Meters.
your committee further does not con-
cur in said report in regard to insurance,
that the insured in the city of Birming-
ham now have to carry one-fourth OF the
risk and cagnot insure for the full value
of their property. Under the agreement,
made with the Southeastern Tariff ASSOC
citation about a year ago, when the city
increased its fire department, there was
a reduction of one-third of the basis rate
of all insurance in the city and any insur-
ers can now insure his property to the
full extent of the value thereof.
your committee further does not con-
cur In said report recommending that the
meter system be extended to dwellings:
k1aa ANN nj ~
| the board of trade has received from
number of cities is 10 the effect that the
| meter system under private ownership
| has not proven satisfactory.
"2. Because the proposition is not to
make any reduction from the present rate
so far as dwellings are concerned, or at
| least is uncertain on that question, the re-
port providing: That for all purposes 9TH
er than private dwellings the charges
shall be by meter measurement according
to the following tariff rates the dwellings
being excepted by this from the reduction.
49, Because 1t is proposed to charge
fiat rate up to certain extent regardless
of the amount Of water used, and only
charge by the meter for the excess, allow
ing no reduction when less amount Is
used than that fixed in the fiat rate.
1.-THE committee recommends that they
are advised that there is no practical way
of forcing the present water works COM
pany TO give Inc CITY al aoedudtS supply
of pure water of reasonable rates not only
for the present but for the future. They,
therefore, recommend that the city at
once take steps to build and operate
plant of its own. Atlanta owns and OPP
crates it's own water works and furnishes
water at one-thrd the present rate charg-
ed in Birmingham: besides. the plant Is
a profitable investment for the city,"
MaJor Miner Questioned.
During the statement of Major Miner
several members of the Board of Trade
asked him questions concerning the water
situation. Several members stated they
had had trouble with the water company
about meters and in two or three of these
instances Major Miner explained the
trouble, and the members stated that the
trouble occurred as he said. but in others
they did not think so. They charged the
trouble directly to their meters. e. Les
ser. proprietor Of the Metropolitan hotel,
said he had his meters examined yearly
and that twice in the past few years
they had been wrong causing him to pay
out an amount far in excess of what he
would otherwise have had to pay. He
said this was made good by the water
company.
oliver Chalfoux stated that he had had
trouble and that the meter was wrong,
but to the best OF his knowledge the
company had never refunded the amount