The age-herald., 1902-01-22
be refunded at much lower rate of in
Police and Fire Protection.

Police and Fire Protection.
 Among the most important of the ben- efts conferred on the territory admitted would be police and fire protecton a much lower. rate of insurance and a ma- terial increase in educational facilities.
 At the beginning of my administration as Mayor of Birmingham, the most ur- gent demands then existing were better streets and sidewalks, additional fire and police protection, more lights, new City Hall and jail and more school building and the proper handling of the city's rev. enue, so as to Insure the payment of all our obligations. These wants have all been supplied gradually, with the excep- tion that we have not been able as yet to fully meet the requirements for school accommodation.
 If this additional territory be taken into the city, I will advocate and recommend the building of a high school with a capacity of one thousand pupils, to cost not less than s150,000.
 While offering these suggestions, which I deem pertinent. I am sure the wisdom and judgment of this committee can be relied upon to bring about the best re- suits for all parties concerned.
 Wanted Delegates Invited.
 Major Anderson was the first speaker. He was in favor of inviting twenty dele gates or representatives from the su- burban towns to meet this committee and join in a full discussion of annexation plans. If the suburban leaders vote to come In they would have sufficient in- uence he said. to get the people in line. Major Anderson said he deemed the an nexation of suburban towns of the ut most importance. If there were no other reasons that of health was sufficient to make this pressing question. He said this community was liable to have an ep- idemic at any time and this danger would not be removed until Greater Birmingham was brought together as one municipality; but each town should be represented.
 Major Anderson then discussed annex alton from various points of view and emphasized the disadvantage which Bir- mingham was under by appearing with a small population in the census returns when Greater Birmingham, the real Bir- mingham, had a population of over 100,- GOO.
 East Lake and Ensiey.
 MT. Jemlson favored the annexation of every town In Jefferson except Bessemer and possibly Powderly. We should take in Ensley as well as East Lake, he said. Greater Birmingham, he estimated, had 8 population of .1250 900.
 AIr Jemison then went on to show that Birmingham really suffered by it's cen sus figures. In the matter of bringing large capital here for development pur- poses there had been a serious loss to this city because of the big interest charges our people were forced to pay And in some cases loans could not be negotiated at all, simply because capitalists and trust companies were not willing to put money in a city of only 3S, 415. There was no use to tell Eastern capitalists about our dense suburbs. These men would draw the census on you every time.
 The consolidation of Greater Birming ham would mean an immense saving il interest charges, MT. Jemison said, an' 1t would mean larger investments 1T various lines. of industry. MT. Jemisor also pointed out the advantages the sub urban towns would enjoy as the result of annexation. They would have better streets better schools, better police pro- lection and better fire protection.
 Mir Joseph took hopeful view of an nexation. He was heartily in favor of annexation because, he said, like the others, that it would be to the interest of Birmingham and to the suburbs to come together in one great city. But in order to carry out this scheme the sub uTDS, ne SdiIJ pC ANPASSShAeNN eNs the committee meetings.
 Outside Capital.
 , Mr. Marx followed with a discussion from the view point of outside capital. He explained like MT. Jemison, that capital ists would not give city of SS, 4l5 favor- able interest rates, and he said in many cases financial institutions had rule not to lend money under any conditions in cities of less than 50,0D0. He thought the suburbs should be glad to become part of Birmingham, for then they could bor- row money at lower rates They now pay per cent.
 MT. Cunningham was In favor of the greater Birmingham movement, but he was of the opinion that good deal of ed- ucational work would have to be done in the county before the people in the out lying sections would vote for 1t. It was therefore very important to have repre- sentatives of the suburbs meet with this committee and take part in the discus sions.
 Major Anderson in submitting supple mental remarks on the advantages of an- nexation, laid stress on the police and fire protection that the suburbs would get and said suburbans values would double in value immediately after annexation was accomplished.
 Alderman Linnehah, Alderman McNal- ly, Alderman Graham and MT. Fulen- wider all spoke for Greater Birmingham. Alderman Binnehan felt confident that the suburbanites would take to the scheme just as soon as it was presented to them in clear, practical way.
 MT. Jemison offered a resolution. which was adopted. making it the sense of the committee that the proposed extension boundaries be the top of Red mountain on the south and the crest of the hill beyond North Highlands, and including East Lake on the east and Ensley on the west.
 Alderman Graham then introduced this resolution. which was agreed to:
 That the chair invite the Mayors of each of the incorporated towns from Ensley to East Lake. with a committees from each town; also that outlying dis tricts that are not incorporated, such as Elyton, Smithfield, Thomas and North be invited to send represen- tatives to confer with this committed, the total number of invited delegates to be limited to 20.
 After a short discussion as to the time of the next meeting the committee ad- journed to meet on January 30 at 7:30