The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-16
CITY COMMITTEE
 IN BRIEF SESSION  Meeting Adjourned Without TranSacting Any Business. "A LARGE CROWD PRESENT  Committee AdJournIna Without Tak- Ing Up Business Is Thought to
 Mean a LuII In City Polk
 tics for a Time.
"A LARGE CROWD PRESENT


 come before it," but less than five min utes' time was required to transact the business Two minutes before o'clock the committee was called to order and by s:O5 o'clock everybody had left the city hall, lights had been extinguished and the doors locked by Custodian Jack Curran.
 The short session of the executive com mittee is taken to mean that Hull will come over the municipal political situ- ation for a time. The chances are that the committee will not meet again un- til after Christmas, and this will natural ly mean that a primary will not be or dered before the latter part of January or the 1st of February. The general city election does not take place until next May. The motion last night for the com mittee to adjourn was unanimous.
 In the call sent out by Chairman +. B. Abernathy for last nights meeting, s o'clock was the hour. The call was is- sued at the request of five members.
 Crowd Gathers.
 About 7:30 o'clock the members of the committee. city officials, candidates for of- flee and citizens generally, commenced ar- irving at the place of meeting and when Chairman Abernathy called the meeting to order there were probably 250 people present.
 Included in the crowd were John w. ONeill, John R. Copeland, John C. For ney, George B. Ward and M H. Critten- den-five of the candidates for mayor. More than half of the members of the city cuncil were on hand, but Mayor Drennen did not show up.
 For fifteen minutes before the time for calling the committee together groups of committeeman gathered in the corners of the council chamber and held brief eau cuses.
 The members of the committee occupied the desks of the aldermen, while Chair man Abernathy was at the mayors desk. and Secretary A. P. Rich occupied City Clerk Murrays chair
 Call to Order.
 ''The committee will come to order" an- nounced Chairman Abernathy, and every thing was still in an instant
 Call the roll"
 Secretary Rich responded immediately, the name of w. H. Pinkerton being the first called. There was no response. The secretary then continued to call the roll, announcing that sixteen members were present
 We have a quorum present." announced the chairman. What is the pleasure of the committee?"
 A half dozen or more members were on their feet in second.
 Walter Metcalf of the Ninth ward was recognized by the chair, q move, MT. Chairman. that we do now adjourn sub ject to the call of a majority or more members of the committed"
 Do I hear a second to MT. Metcalfs motion?" asked the chairman. There were a half dozen or more seconds to the mo- tion and the question was then put to a vote.
 "All who are in favor of the motion to adjourn will say aye. and we will take a vice voice vote"
 Everybody seemed to vote aye.
 "All opposed will vote mo-" said the chairman
 Stands Adjourned.
 There was no response to this and just as the chairman was declaring the result of the vote. Committeeman D. A. Hell mich of the Fourth ward sought recogni- tion but in vain. ''The committee stands adjourned" and that was the end of it.. A dozen or more men surged around Chairman Abernathy and propounded as many questions.
 Why did the committee adjourn with out transacting any business7" was asked of the chairman.
 we could not get together" was his only reply to all.
 An agreement was reached during yes- would adjourn without any business be- ing transacted It is understood now that a majority of the members of the committee are in favor of dropping poll tics until after the first of the new year. Ten members of the committee will now have to agree for a meeting to be called before the chairman can act. Under the law five members as an original prop osition, can request the chairman to call the committee together but adjournment is taken, as was done last night, such request would be without effect.
 One or two members of the committee stated last night that they were in favor of having the committee called to meet again on September 21 but this seems hardly probable.
 Members Present.
 The following were present at last nights meeting:
 First Ward-Harry Turner.
 Second Ward-Max Karpeles and A. P. Rich.
 Third ward-John Antwine and William Cutcliff.
 Fourth ward-D. A. Helmich and F. S. White. Jr.
 Fifth ward-H. B. Abernathy and Charles Herbert
 Sixth ward-Andrew Chambers and Ed ward Martin.
 Seventh Ward-R. B. Smyer.
 Eighth Ward-Ben Martin and Walter Bennett.
 Ninth ward-J. F. Hawkins and Walter