The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-25
MAKING EFFORTS
 FOR LOWER RATES City Council Will Aid Board of
 Trade Committee PUBLISH CORRESPONDENCE Letters of Southeastern Tariff Asso- clatlon and Actions on Giving 6lr-
 mlnsham First Class Fire
 Insurance Basis.
PUBLISH CORRESPONDENCE

A great deal of correspondence has been carried on between Secretary c. c. Fiem- ing of the Southeastern Tariff associa- ton, the members of the Board of Trade and Mayor w. Melville Drennen with ref erence to the matter It is a live issue wth the merchants and other insurance payers of Birmingham, and they seem determined to have the city rerated. It has been suggested that Secretary Fleming be invited to appear before the city council at it's next regular meeting and explain just what the Southeastern 1 Tariff association will require of the municipal authorities before Birmingham can secure a cheaper insurance rate, and such an invitation may be extended. Committees Letter.
 In the meantime the committee from the Board of Trade has addressed a letter to the association asking what will be necessary to have the city of Birmingham reinstated in the first class basis. This is the letter of the committee to Sec retary Fleming which was mailed Fri day:
 Enclosed please find resolutions adopt ed by the board of mayor and aldermen at the last session, Wednesday night, of this week. We have assurances that the improvement of requirements necessary to put Birmingham back on a first class basis will be grained when recommended by this committee. Please advise us what is necessary to have the city of Birmingham reinstated on a first class basis"
 A reply to this letter Is expected within the next few days. The committee from the Board of Trade is composed of John w. O'Neill, a member of the city council from the Second ward; Ben F. Barbour, a member of the city council from the Third ward; J. D. Collins of Collins Shoe company. M. V. Joseph of Loveman, Jo- seph & Loeb, w. T. Cox of the Cox Shoe company, Oliver Challfoux of J. L. Cha;- ifoux & Co.,, and J. E. Shelby of the Cable Piano company.
 The correspondence In the premises Is interesting. With reference to the build Ing laws and building inspector of Bir- mingham Secretary Fleming wrote Mayor Drennen on January 20 as follows:
 Your favor of the 18th inst was sub mitted to the executive committee at the regular monthly meeting held last week.
 The present insurance rates. or the tariff book now in use. was published on January l. 1902, but the rates were really made effective from October l, 1901, pro- vision having been made that all poll | cies written on and following that date should have hp nf ba when they came out October 1. 1901, was the date, as we recall, when the special agent of the association agreed that t1.e improvements in fire protection of the city had been carried out as agreed upon.
 In the letter which the writer addressed to you on February 2S, 1901. appears the following paragraph:
 "Bulldlng Laws"
 Enact building laws in accordance with l those in effect in other cities accorded a first class rating; competent building inspector to be appointed"
 The building laws which you report were adopted on October ?, 1901, were not such as the needs of the city of Bir- mingham required. In July, 1903, you con- ferred with a special committe from this association, consisting of Messrs. Abrams, Carpenter and Hawkins, regarding the adoption of more suitable laws. A draft of the proposed laws was considered by you and this committee, a prominent architect of the city also being consulted, while the said committee was in Birming- ham. These building laws have not been agreed upon and adopted, so that, as we understand, Birmingham has not pro- vided any adequate building laws.
 Building Inspector.
 Tn your letter of November 20, 1903. you stated that it was expected the proposed building ordinance would be adopted so as to go into effect January 1, 1904, and a competent building inspector appointed by that time. Up to the present time no notice has been received of the adop- tion of the said building laws.
 With further reference to the appoint ment of city building inspector, we beg to advise that, when 1t was stipulated in our negotiations with you regarding the revision of rates at Birmingham on a strictly first class basis, that a compe- tent building inspector should be appoint ed, it was contemplated, of course, that a man should be appointed to that place whose duties would consist solely of the work connected with that office. It was not contemplated, we will state, that some other city official with other duties should be appointed to this most impor- | tant position, which, in a city of the size and growth of Birmingham requires that he should devote his entire time to the work.
 Pardon us for going into these details, but we do so in order to point out to you I that the city of Birmingham has not com | piled with it's agreement with the asso- 1 citation regarding the adoption of ade- quate building laws and the appointment l of competene building inspector. Please l understand that we do not intend to re- fleet in the slightest degree upon the city officials. We simply wish to state that the appointment of the city engineer as inspector is not compliance with the | agreement with the association, as con- templated at the time 1t was entered Into. At the time of the writer's conference l with you in February, 1901, the matter of rates applying on the Highlands was discussed. and reduction in rate was claimed by reason of the improvement in the fire protection in that section of the city. There had been some delay in getting out the rates for the said DOT ton of the city, as was explained to you
 at the time, but immediately after the return of the writer to the office, author | ity was issued granting the rates prom ised for that section. Fires in that DOT ticn of the city have clearly demonstrat- | ed that the water pressure is wholly in- adequate, or else, that some defect in | the fire protection prevents the saving of property when fires occur
 | At the meeting of the executive com mittee, last week. the following resolu- tions were adopted and I was instructed to communicate same to you:
 Resolved. that the secretary of the as- | sociation inform the mayor of the city | of Birmingham that unless the building | laws which have been pending in the city | -a1 FAr he aEA