The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-02-01
Committee Asks Board of Rev
enue 10 Appropriate $25O0
TAKEN UNDER ADVISEMENT
Rufus N. Rhodes, T. c. Bush, w. P. G.
Harding and Mayors of Suburban
Municipalities Plead for En-.
larged Water Supply.


county, after listening for an hour yes
terday morning to arguments made by
"A representative committee in favor of
an appropriation of $3.50 for prelimi-
nary work in obtaining free water
supply for Birmingham for industrial
purposes, took the subject under advise
ment and promised to report their de-
cision at the earliest practicable moment.
Headed by Rufus N Rhodes, the COM
mittee appeared before the Board of
Revenue promptly at 1O:3O O'Clock in the
county court house. Without unneces-
sary preliminary talk, Mr. Rhodes at
tackled the problem of providing for
Birmingham water supply adequate of
the future Industrial possibilities of the
| district. The committee said he, repre-
scented all classes and conditions in the
county-the capitalists, the laborer, the
! business man and the general public. 1t
had at heart the hopes and aspirations
of the people of the community. This
committee had come before the Board
! of Revenue Mr.. Rhodes continued, to
request the board, in pursuance of
public duty, to appropriate s., 800 to make
the necessary surveys and reports
quisite to obtain a greater water sup
ply for the Birmingham district 1t
wished the board to cooperate with the
committee and the people in their effort
to open the gates of the city to period
of prosperity yet iindreamed of.
Resources of Wealth.
Few persos realize said Mr. Rhodes,
that resources of wealth are latent in
the Birmingham district. The eyes of
| the whole country. said he, are on Biz
! mingham. Young men, in cc-.stantly in
creasing number, are converging on this
city from every point ON the continent
Fathers and mothers. planning for their
children's future. see in Birmingham the
field of largest opportunity and are con-
templatlng settling here. rhe commun-
| ity should awaken to realizing sense
of the commanding position Birmingham
is destined to hold in the eyes of the
world To do this, the city should see to
it, said Mr.. Rhodes, that an adequate
water supply is provided and provided
at once
Mr. Rhodes believed that enough water
could be impounded on the Little War
rior river to supply this district. II
that plan should be impracticable the
waters of the Coosa could be utilized. To
do the work the committee had in mind
would require $500. To have asked for
such an amount II years ago would have
awakened establishment. To ask it to-
day Is perfectly natural. In illustrating
the eitys growth, the speaker referred
to the fact that his paper, the Birming
| ham News had recently signed contracts
for advertising with a single firm here
! in Birmingham valued at $4,000 and at
a rate u times higher than 1t would
have been Il years ago. Were passed
the stage of small things" said Mr..
Rhodes Jefferson county wants this
work done. The people want you to ap-
proprlate this $3.50. The corporations
are willing to stand a special tax to put
this work through. To construct this
greater water supply system will be to
make the district of Birmingham an in
| dustrial empire"
Mr.. Rhodes then spoke of the manner
IL which the money would be disbursed,
assuring the board that of the seven
men charged with expending the money,
three would be memb RS Of the board.
Colonel Bush Speaks.
Col. r. c. Bush, president Of the Ala
bama Consolidated Coal and Iron com
pany followed Mr. Rhodes. He said
that though substitutes might be found
| for coal and oil none had yet been found
or would ever be found for water. He
cited the case of Pittsburg to Illustrate
how greatly the values in an Industrial
| community are increased by enlarged
water supply. To limit the water sup
| ply of Birmingham would be to circum-
scribe its growth and development With
| sufficient water facilities, Birmingham,
he said, would soon equal Pittsburg.
| Capitalists from various sections of the
country were ready and willing to in
vest in this district if they could be
assured that they would have ample
water supply. Steel plants would spring
up and prosper. Under existing cond
tions the supply of steel and water here
is limited
Colonel Bush spoke confidently of the
! souths future. The east and west had
had their day, said he. The south was
the promise land of the twentieth cen
fury Two-thirds of the commercial dis
scounted paper in New York banks was
| southern paper. The responsibility of
persons in authority was great. They
| should see to 1t that Birmingham is
enabled TO grasp the opportunity With
| which the city is presented
Mr.. Harding.
| w. p. G. Harding, president of the
First National bank, was introduced as
| a young Alabamian who came to town
| about thirty years ago and rose by
| the might of merit to the head of an
| isttution that has today greater de-
| pcsits than any other bank In the south.
! Mr. Harding said that HE receives fire.
ouent inquiries regarding investments in
| portions of the country are eager to in
vest their money here. Because of the
| lack of unlimited water supply for manu-
| featuring purposes. however. the district
had, he thought. reached the limit of its
development Mr. Harding explained that
| the reason why corporations did not pro-
vide money to do the preliminary work
was because those already established
could not be expected to stimulate COM
| ,at;tfnn IN their Fresnective fields