The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-12
STILL WITH THE MAYOR
DEDISTRICTING MEASURE HAS NOT
BEEN APPROVED.
Mr. Carr May Send II Back to Council
With Timely Suggestions.
Former Mayor Joseph In
tecta q Word.

The ordinancse to redistrict Mont
somery into seven wards passed by the
City Council last Tuesday evening by
a narrow margin, is still in the hands
of Mayor Thomas H. Carr. and there is
a considerable division of opinion as t }
whether he will approve it or not
At the Mayors office yesterday after
noon it was said that the Mayor had
not yet considered the ordinance. 1t
was pointed out that he had until next
Friday to finally pass upon it.
Citizens of the annexed territory un-
der the Greater Montgomery act have
been free in their condemnation of the
measure and the manner in which 1t
was passed by the Council without CIV
ing any citizens affected by 1t a chance
to express an opinion.
The suburbanites. however. find
some comfort in the fact that an ordi-
nance is pending whereby the resi-
dents Of the proposed Ward will be
permitted to select their Aldermen in
the event that Mayor Carr approves
of the ordinance. Alderman Jackson
is author of this measure which was
referred to the Judiciary Committee.
1t is generally believed, however, that
the Mayor will send the ordinance
back to the Council at its next meeting
and suggest that the committee invite
citizens to appear before 1t and voice
their ideas about the redistricting of
the city.
Former Mayor E. B. Joseph expressed
the opinion yesterday that IL citizens
of the annexed territory had not SO
strenuously opposed the immediate adj
mission of the suburbs to the city after
the passage of the act by the Legisla-
ture. the needed improvements might
have now been completed. He pointed
out that 1t was intended that the act
should have become effective in Feb
ruary right after its passage, but that
certain residents of the suburbs insist
ed that 1t should not go into effect
until the change of administration the
following October, and to satisfy these
suburbanites. Representative Tyler
GOODWIN amended the act as It was
drawn originally.
Il am completely out OF city politics
and have no intention of re-entering,'
said Mr.. Joseph but the article in The
Advertiser today is so misleading as
to the real facts of the history of
Greater Montgomery that I feel i'm
PEELED to say something in reference
thereto.
"As it was we'll known as President
of the Council and as Mayor, 1 used all
the power I had for Greater Montgon-
cry. The act. which 1 advocated and
which the City Council advocated. con-
templated the immediate annexation of
the suburban district named in tho
act.
II. as Mayor and the City Council,
understanding the matter, were anx-
ious for the act to go into immediate
effect At the last moment, however,
Representative GOODWIN offered an
amendment at the request of the lead
ing opponents of the measure. that it
should not take effect until October LIST.
This was adopted. although l opposed it
to the last ditch as Mayor.
Il should judge from the tone or
the interview in YOUR issue of this
morning entitled, "A Municipal Filipino
Asks for Justice for Suburbs that the
author of that article was one of the
main advocates of delaying the date
by which the extension would take eff
feet"
Mr. Joseph said that he was RESPONSE
BILE for the lights being turned on in
the annexed district before he went
out of Office in October. As Mayor he
contracted for them and he was respon~
sible for the suburbanites getting this
much from the city government, he
said
A resident of the suburbs said yes
terday evening that 1t was a fact that
certain suburban residents asked for
the amendment providing that the act
should become effective in October, but
they were whiskey men and merchants
who hoped to evade the payment of
licenses as long as possible. He ad-
ded that, II his recollection served him
correctly. the amendment was agreed
to by tho city administration.