The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-28
Waterworks Company Must Pay S10,00o and 3. R. 1. & Co. S20,000 with Con-
 sessions
COMMITTEE UNANIMOUS
 IN AGREE MtNT REACHED
l Regarded as Triumph for Mayor Ward, Who Has All Along contended for Higher
 Licenses.

The license schedule for Birmingham for 1906 has been fixed by the miscellaneous committee of the City Council and num- Der of corporations will be compelled to pay more for the privilege of doing busl- ness in this municipality than in previous years.
 In short. Mayor Ward has won a not able victory inasmuch as his recommenda- tions for an increase in the licenses which must be procured by the Birmingham Water Works company and the Blrming- ham Railway Light and Power company met with the unanimous approval of the miscellaneous committee, and a report to this effect will be submitted to the coun- ell at the regular meeting on Decem- Der 6.
 The Water Works company will be com peled to pay $10,o0O annually for the priv ilege of doing business in Birmingham, If the recommendations Of the commit tee are adopted, and the Birmingham | Railway, Light and Power company must pay s200o0. with concessions for lights to the city. before the privilege of operat ing in this municipality will be allowed the corporation.
 Not the Only Ones. The two big corporations are not the only ones that will be compelled to pay | increased licenses for doing business in ' Birmingham. The telephone companies were increased and in 1906 the Bell com pany will be taxed 75 cents for each tele- phone n service and the Peoples company will be taxed the sum of 50 cents per | annum for each phone. This in fact is the substance of the recommendation of the committee.
 The committee met behind closed doors l with Chairman John W. O'Neill in the chair and Aldermen Forney, Parker Cooper and b. R. Copeland present. Henry l B. Gray, a member of the committee was absent at his home. and voted on l propositions through the telephone. Al derman Walter Moore, though not a member of the committee, was present, as was Mayor Ward E. D. Smith, city attorney; City Clerk Murray, Tax Col lector Gambill and B. A Pepperman, private secretary to the mayor.
 The committee deliberated several hours before the agreement was finally reached to raise the license fee of the big cor porations. In previous years the Br- mingham Railway Light and Power com pany has paid for the steam heat priv ilege s950: electric lights, sl5OO: street rail- way. 5000 which sum has been 5000 for each consolidated line. and it is known that the present company has absorbed four lines.
 The Water Works company has been let off heretofore with the sum of $2500, but hereafter will be compelled to pay slO,OOo. an increase of s750O, provided, of course, the council acquiesees in the re- port of the unanimous recommendation of the miscellaneous committee.
 Railroads Did Not Escape.
 The railroads did not escape the vigi- lance of the committee when the question of license was considered. The license fol such corporations has been graded and the committee will recommend that the tax be graded from s1O0O to s500.
 The members of the committee at first were reticent about discussing what had been transacted when first approached but finally acknowledged that the facts above mentioned were true.
 Mayor Ward and Chairman O'Neill of the miscellaneous committee stated that while differences may have existed previous to the session of the city fathers that after a thorough discussion of af- fairs that everything was amicable, and the committee Is unanimously in favor oi |, ,....a. ,s stntad and ytt1 subuti