The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-09-15
CHAIRMAN VAN HooSE'E REPORT.
Citizens Urged to Bestir Themselves
In Behalf of Water Commission
Measure.


To the Citizens of Jefferson County:
l deem it my duty as chairman of the
joint committee ratified and enlarged by
a mass meeting of the citizens of this
county, to notify you that ! have just re-
turned from Montgomery where | went
for the purpose of assisting in the pas
sage of the act prepared by this COM
mittee for the purpose of creating a water
commission for Jefferson county l re-
greet to be compelled to say to you that
l fear the work of this committee in this
effort to secure more water better water
and cheaper water" for the county WILL
in all probability, fail of ratification by
this session of the legislature, unless YOU
the citizens property owners, who are all
interested in this effort at once, without
moments delay, make known to the
members of the legislature from this
county that you wish the act passed Great
ing a water commission for this county.
Curious, almost as it may seem, still it
is a fact that only a very few of you
have conveyed any expression of your
wishes in regard to this act to the senator
and representatives from this county. De-
spite the earnest efforts of our commit
tee to induce you to arouse yourselves
and take vigorous action on this vital
question; despite the generous and hearty
support given to the movement by the
daily press, the positive statements from
experts in the manufacturing and finan-
cal world, that the Birmingham district
has about reached its manufacturing linn
it unless our water supply is Immediately
reinforced; despite the portentous warn
ings given you by health experts as to
the rapidly increasing danger of con-
tamination of your drinking water; de-
spite all these and despite a wide spread
conviction that all this is substantially
true, you have with a few exceptions
failed to cooperate with the committee,
and have not made known to your rep
resentatves your wishes in regard to this
proposed water commission for Jefferson
county. They have the right to expect
this expression from you. 1t is neither
becoming nor helpful in the limited time
now available to discuss why this support
has not been given to the act. The ur-
gent, pressing need now is to COM
municate without a days delay with each
of your representatives. and urge the
passage of the act which has been so care
fully drawn, or of some similar act Great
ing a water commission for jefferson
county, so that this whole question of
our water supplies for all purposes can
be intelligently, justly and effectively
handled by the county of Jefferson, rep
resenting each and every interest In the
Whole county, ntlpiilB dllt lnJuIlIR uOHe.
The act has been published in full by
both of the afternoon dailies and a large
number of copies have been distributed
and its provisions should be now known
OF you. Still briefly put the act is gen
eral one providing that when any coun-
ty in Alabama shall reach a population
of 100 600 or whenever in the judgment
of the board of revenue or of the coun-
ty commissioners, the health or other
l..tl H. \
ii, the governor shall appoint a COM
mission composed of citizens of the county
who shall be authorized to take under
advisement the whole question of water
supply, and under the terms of the act do
such conservative and just things as will
properly protect and safeguard all inter-
ests effected.
The act expressly stipulates that no is
sue of bonds for carrying out any of the
plans which may be recommended by this
water commission after they have caused
careful surveys and estimates to be made
by competent experts, shall be made until
that issue shall have been ratified by lee
ton of the duly qualified voters of the
county. This last provision seems to fully
protect the tax payers against any ar
bitrary or injudicious action on the part
of the board of revenue or of the water
large number-I believe of an overwhelm-
ing majority of those interested in Jeffer-
son county-a conviction that our water
supplies need immediate and the fullest
possible investigation They believe that
this had best be done by the county.
That the county should be practically
formed into a water district so that
every municipality, every corporation,
every citizen and every interest can be
represented in the investigation and sug-
eestions of the commissioners of this wa
ter district. New developments are being
made everywhere; various municipalities
are already scattered throughout the
county, and more will and should be
formed; different corporations are seeking
water Inevitably these various interests
will at times overlap and become more
or less rival That the general health and
of the whole county may be
cared for in all of this already
much complicated situation seems hardly
a matter of doubt The only possible diff
ference would seem to be as to how best
to do it. Your committee believes that the
county should handle the question. as a
water district by means of a commission
of its own citizens appointed by the gov
ernor. leaving you as the final judges
as to whether you approve or disapprove