The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-22
Introduces Ringing Resolution Before Council and Makes
 a Warm Speech
WANTS SALARIES IF THE
 HIGH OFFICERS STOPPED
No Saloon Allowed on East Side of South Twentieth Street After January 1-Board Has
 Exciting Session.

The regular meeting of the city council last night was the most interesting held in many months. One of the most impor- tant features of the meeting was the in troduction by Alderman Ward Of the fol- lowing resolution:
 Whereas the offense of gambling has beconne flagrantly common In the city or Birmingham. and the number of gambling houses have increased to such an extent within the past sixty days that the au- thorities of the county and state have been called upon to suppress It, pc II therefore Resolved, That this board herewith calls upon and demands of the police com mission the rigid enforcement or the or dinances against gampihs anu f"e Be it further Resolved that unless diligence Is used in accordance with this resolution that the pay of the chief of police, or the oay captain and night captain be indennlteiy stopped after November ], l9O5.
 Alderman Moore immediately moved 10 refer the resolution to the police ana san itation and the judiciary committees which was seconded by Alderman Jones' and Inc debate on the motion was un- usually spirited.
 
 vor of the adoption of his resolution by the board. He said;
 Wards Speech.
 A word to the wise is sometime sun cient though doubt whether or not u will be in this case, but it seems to me that if would be well for the police com mission to get it into It's head that it is
 tO either nore or annul any ordinances or the city of Birmingham now extant. II they oo the board should resent it and protect US rights. And further should realize that inc people who believed Captain Wiers manifestos against gambling in the last election, and voted accordingly, are now wondering what they have done.
 of is A matter of common knowledge That in the last sixty days there has been an appalling influx of gamblers into this citv that from four or five dens barrlcad- ed in the top stories the number nas in- creased to over forty gambling houses now in full blast, in the center Of town and all known to the police.
 Questions Asked.
 .aNJon, wish to ask why it is they are ,,nmolested and given protection; also who and what is paid for this protection. The fact that a few deputy sheriffs can pold- lv walk into three places and arrest n1ty- nine men or about twenty to each place. would indicate that if our police depart ment did it's duty tonight and raided the forty dens now sizzling with cheating, whisky and smoke they would get eight hundred men who are at this moment holdly defying the laws of God and man. and all with the consent of our police commission. "Put the matter on mercenary plane alone, the city which is doing the pro tecting and furnishing the material to be preyed upon is certainly entitled to ail revenue from arrests instead of the coun- ty. Out of the raid Saturday night the state will get about $27O0. but this is a phase of the question not to be consid- cred. Now MT. Chairman, I offer this resolu- tion in behalf of the people who believe that the city should make some sort of show of decency in handling gambling. Also in behalf of those families in Bir- mingham who are now having their re- sources insidiousy sapped to the bone; in behalf of those who have already been stripped of good name and competence and last in behalf of all those who are yet to have disgrace flight and exposure, like lightning from a clear sky, strike in their midst"
 Alderman Ward said further that a prominent money lender in the city had told him that his business with young men had increased 90 per cent within the past thirty days.
 Jones' Remarks.
 Alderman Jones said that he seconded the motion to refer the resolution be- ba wa n n so fri ton between the council and the police commission especially inasmuch as the police commission had absolute control of the city's police affairs. He said that half of the recent embezzlements which had been alluded to by Alderman Ward had come from dealing with bucket shops and with stocks and bonds. and not from losing money in gambling houses. Alderman Heidt spoke in favor of re- ferring the resolution on the ground that he also did not wish to see any fric- ton between the council and police com mission. When put to a vote the resolution was referred to the police and sanitation and the judiciary committees,
 Asks fo Refutation.
 The air in the council chamber had scarcely cleared when Alderman Gray in- troduced the following resolution which was adopted by the board; Whereas grave charges have been made by an alderman against the board of police commissioners and police of- fcers, be it resolved, that the board re- uuest said commissioners and officers to refute these charges" There was also debate during the ses- sion on whether the license of the saloon located on the east side of South Twen- tieth street should not be reissued on January l, which in itself can claim credit for being unusually interesting. Alder man Heidt, the champion of the women and children who have to pass along Twentieth street from South Highlands won a victory and the saloon will not be allowed to run after January l.
 CoIIoquy About Saloons. Alderman Heidt in defense of his posi- ton in the matter said that the only peo- pie who wanted the saloon to remain were its owner. the owner of the building, the