The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-11
Special Meeting Is Held BY
Commercial Club,
NEED OF MORE WATER
=
Ex-Mayor J. A. vanHoose Favors City
Owning Its Own Plant and Get
ting Water From the
Warrior River.

Yesterday to discuss the water situation
and especially Major w. ]. Miners re-
port as to putting in meters on private
houses in the city
Major Miner talked nearly two hours in
presenting arguments to sustain the re-
port of the committee, and had docn-
ments and statements from ell sections of
the state. At the conclusion of his talk
several members spoke en- the opposite
side for few minutes each, the last talk
being made by J. A. VanHoose, who ad-
vocated municipal ownership and who
was warmly appiauded by the members
of the Commercial club at several places
In his talk. The club will meet Tuesday
afternoon at O'Clock to further discuss
the matter.
Major Miner made statements which
were practically the same as those at
the last meeting of the club, with few
additional facts. In opening he said that
it was with a great deal of embarrass-
ment that he approached the subject,
partially because the people of Birming-
ham do not believe that he is a disinter-
ested party in the matter and is not con-
nected with the water works company in
any capacity.
He presented personal letters and tele-
grams from Mobile and two cities In the
east in which 1t was stated that the
meters were good things and that most Of
the people desired them.
Major Miner took his report and ex-
planned how each paragraph would help
the people of Birmingham if adopted by
the water works company. He again
presented the decision of Judge Carmi-
chael in regard to the contract being
valid between the city and the water
company. Several members spoke and
said that the water company was not liv-
ing up to the contract, which was there
fore, void.
Major Miner stated that 1t would be
impossible for the city to build a water
works and compete with the present COM
pany. He said they would have to go to
the Warrior, which was 300 feet below the
level of the streets of Birmingham, and
that besides this the pumps would have
to have force enough to overcome q re-
sistance of nineteen miles Of piping. He
said that would be great expense, and
that the city would have trouble in float
ing the bonds, because the water COM
pany would fight the bonds at every stage
of the game.
Major Miner made proposition to give
81 to charity for each of the first 100
meters brought in that registered in favor
of the water company, provided that some
one else would pay 50 cents for every one
that registered in favor of the people.
He was taken up at once by both Major
Frank Anderson and B. Steiner, but
owing to the fact that no arrangement
could be made for the expense of test
ing the meters the matter was dropped.
Major Anderson Talks.
When Major Miner finished speaking
Major Frank Anderson said:
II am in favor of the water company
and the meters, but 1 want to pay for
what l use and not have any minimum
rate. believe we should treat the wa
ter works company fairly, but 1 believe
they should also treat us the same way.
Until lately 1 was opposed to the city
owning the water works plant, and
thought that impracticable, but 1 have
had reason to investigate the matter more
fully and 1 am sure some one will have
to go to the Warrior river for a sufficient
water supply for Birmingham. 1 know
personally that we los. the great Schiller
plant for this reasoryuand we will lose
other great plants fyNE same reason.
No one can estimatefo, Damage that an
insufficient water szIaIiy is doing to
Birmingham, but 1t Will keep away hun
dreds of plants of all characters and will
dwarf Birmingham more than any of us
realize. l do not say the city will go
to the Warrior, but some one will have
to do it in the near future.
1.-THE question is a vital one to Br-
mingham and it will not only cause peo-
pie to stay away from here, but 1t will
cause those here to move away. I am
reliably informed that the water of the
Cahaba river and Five Mile creek is get
ting more and more contaminated every
day and that 1t will not be long before
a filtering plant will have to be used
to protect the people of Birmingham. We
might go to, the Coosa, but that is fur
ther.''
Other Views.
John w. O'Neil then stated that the
contract of the water works company is
no longer valid as it requires pure and