The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-03
Commercial Club Listens to
Paper on Water Supply
]. A. MONTGOMERYS VIEWS
He Thinks the Warrior River the
Source From Which Birmingham
Could Get Abundant Supply
of Water-commlttee.

A committee OF lHlTlceu was oPPS'Ne~N
at the meeting of the Commercial CLUB
Yesterday afternoon to consult and act
with the Jefferson county sanitary com
mission In regard to a more adequate
water supply for Birmingham. The club
also received the report OF the special
water committee of which Major w. j.
Miner WIS chairman, and dismissed the
committee with thanks. The club did not
indorse or reject the report. 1t was pub
lished in The Age-Herald three months
ago. A delegation to the meeting OF the
commercial bodies of Mississippi. LOUISE
ana and Texas was appointed.
Col ]. A. Montgomery, one of the old
est and best-informed civil engineers In
the Birmingham district, read paper on
the water question and the possibility OF
securing an adequate water supply within
the next two or three years. The paper
is given in full below
The resolution of N. +. Thompson APP
pointing the committee to confer with
and act with the sanitary commission
was as follows:
Whereas, The matter of securing
greater supply and purer quality of water
for Birmingham is one of the most Inn
portant questions that bears upon the
present and future growth and progress
of this city; and,
Whereas, 1t is the duty of every organi-
cation and citizen in anywse interested
IN the commercial industrial, sanitary
or municipal welfare of Birmingham to
take up this matter and secure such ac-
ton as will most promptly and effectively
meet the emergency that confronts us;
and.
Whereas, The sanitary commission of
Jefferson county appears to be the agency
by and through which this supply can be
most speedily obtained, and being already
entrusted with such branches of the work
as makes a further and fuller authority
appear as logically needed to fulhll the
ends of their original appointment, there
fore be it
Resolved by the Commercial club of Biz
that the following committee
be and are hereby appointed from this
body to confer with the said sanitary
commission of Jefferson county, and ten
der them such cooperation in this mat
ter as the ends sought to be accomplished
may seem to require.
Committees Powers.
Resolved, That as, Legislative action
may be needed. this committee, In con-
nection with the legislative committee OF
this club, be and is hereby invested with
full power and authority to act with any
committee from any other organization
or body touching this matter aild, all
other powers are given them in the
premises as the situation may be deemed
by them to demand as fully as this club
can confer.
Committed 4. VanHoose, chairman;
W. NJ Drennen, mayor; j. c. Mabin.
president Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron
company; b. F. Roden, president Com
mercial club; r. N. Rhodes. Birmingham
News company; George Cruikshank,
Ledger Publishing company; Il. w. Bar
rett, Age-Herald company; b. f. Moore.
J. Rfitman. y. Steiner John 3. Weakly,
j. A. Montgomery, John w. O'Neil
G.. II. Estes, chairman of the special
committee on transfers, reported that an
fers on all lines except three and that as
soon as certain changes could be made
in the lines of the Birmingham Railway,
Light and Power company that transfers
would be given to and from all lines In
the five cent limit.
The motion of Major f. Y. Anderson
to appoint a delegation to New Orleans
was as follows, followed by list of dele
gates;
Whereas, the New Orleans Progressive
Union has called a convention or repre-
sentatives from all the commercial bodies
In Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas for
the 14th and 18th of January. 1903. at
which time there will also be a meeting
of the Southern Passenger association for
the purpose of inducing immigration to
said states, and
Whereas. there is no good reason why
Alabama should not participate at said
convention In order to get its share of new
corners to the south; therefore, be 1t
Resolved That the President of this
eli b Is hereby requested to appoint del
eg tion, to be composed of six members
to siaid convention, and that said delega-
ton be requested to ask that Alabama
be included In any benefits the Southeast
crn Passenger association may grant
concerning reduced rates on railroads.
Delegates: II. Y. Anderson, Sterling A.
Wood. Willis J. Miner. d. Steiner, f
Lesser, ]. b. Gibson.
The Water Question.
Col. T. g. Bush made a short talk en-
dorsing the paper of Mr.. Montgomery and
stating that the trouble with water works
companies now is that they do not reckon
on the larger amount or water used per
capita now and ten years ago In making
out their estimates Of the amount to be
used. He said that the people use a
much larger amount of water per capita
now than they did ten years ago, and
that this made great difference. He IL
Illustrated this by saying that In a num-
Der of houses ten years ago there was no
bath tubs. or only one to the house,
whereas now there are TWO or three to
the house. and In some cases bath to
every bedroom.
Major Miner spoke at length giving
some figures in favor of his report He
mentioned the water works of Atlanta,
and stated that 1t found meters very ef-
fective and economical. Some one raised
the PORT that these were municipal,
meters and not corporation meters.
Ex-Mayor VanHoose stated that the
question Of meters was still one open for
discussion in all parts of the world. and
that they have been found to be very
effective when owned ana run by num-
oil