The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-26
MAYORS OF TOWNS DISCUSS THE ROADS Some Municipalities Keep High ways in Good Condition .ENSLEY HAS GOOD RECORD Hints Thrown Out By Mayors Looking to an Improvement of the Roads.
 Pressing Demand for Bet
 ter Roadways.
ENSLEY HAS GOOD RECORD

The mayors of several municipalities, on whom the blame for the bad condition of the Jefferson county public roads has been laid by some of the members of the board of revenue and many citizens. were seen yesterday and they expressed the opinion that if the roads of the rural districts were kept as we'll as they are in the limits of the cities over which they rule the roads would be in excellent shape. The only exception was Mayor E. J. Robinson of East Lake, who lamented the fact that for lack of legal power his council could not have the roads worked as they should be.
 Mayor Starbuck of Avondale gave some emphatic views on the good roads agita- ton in this county. ''The municipalities of this county" said Mayor Starbuck, pay oyer three-fourths of the total taxes that are paid Into the county treasury. From this it appears to me that we are as much entitled to have the county bikes running through our limits and used by all citizens of the county worked by the county as are the rural districts.
 If the board has not the legal right to work these roads. l think that some effort should be made to give them the power. Our municipalities are so limited in our taxation powers that it is all many of LIS can do to meet current expenses and keep up our sidewalks and streets proper, and I see no reasonable excuse why the board of revenue should not re- leve us of the burden of maintaining the county macadamized roads.
 As to the county roads that run through Avondale, 1 think they are in fairly good condition. While they are not equal to the paved streets of Bir- mingham still they are in as good fix as the average county road"
 In EnsIey.
 Mayor Scott of Ensley said: During the past ninety days every county mac adamzed road running through the city
 limits of Ensley has been worked and re
 paired They are in splendid condition
 and there Is positively no ground for any
 kick whatever on the county roads
 through our city. I have recently tray
 eled very widely over the county and if all the county roads were kept up as well as the roads of Ensley there would
 be little knocking on the public roads
 Ensley is able to look after its streets and 1t Is doing it, too.
 T am a great believer in good roads, continued Mayor Scott, and from th' discussions that. have been going on il | The Age-Herald it appears that the ma % tIa nf f11ia county fa VO good roads"
 In Other Towns.
 Mayor W. E. Perryman of Woodlawl said: During the past year Woodlawl has spent over s20,000 in macadamzint and improving the streets, and we arr still working on the roads Every count! road leading through the city limits hal been worked. and there cannot be an! fault found with the streets Of our town When the present plans now being con sidered are completed Woodlawn vii have the best streets of any town in tn country"
 At East Lake.
 Mayor E. J. Robinson Of East Lax said: ''It is a fact that the macadamize' | roads of our town are not as good q | they should be. We are handicapped b. | d clause in our charter which forbids tn council from levyng any taxes for stree | improvement It takes all our revenue t | meet current expenses and build bridges and we are unable to keep up the count, bikes as we would like to do."
 Said Mayor Sidney Norwood of Wes | End: ',The streets of West End hay recently been maeadamized and repaired We have expended large sums of none on the streets this year and are stil continuing to improve them. By Januar | 1 the streets of our town will be in excel | lent shape. The Powderly road Is tn only county highway that runs througl the city limits of West End, and as ia as our city Is concerned 1 think ther should be very little kick coming Tn policy of the city council is to improv the streets, and we are fully eompeten l to keep every county road in our tow | In passible condition"
 l Mayor E. J. Hudnall of Pratt City said l "iThe streets of our town are not as goo as we would like to have them. but | think they average fairly well with tn | other roads of the county. The publi | roads running through the corporate lin | It's of Pratt City are a little above a, 1 craze. l will admit, however, they al | not as good as the city would like to SC them. In fact, l wish that we were albl to pave every street in our town. Nc | being able to do this, we are endeavorin | to maintain the roads as well as ou | funds will justify.
 '.The public macadamized roads are bt | ing repaired and improved, and l thin that when the present plans, already con | templated, are carried out, there wi I he little room for complaint"
 Thefts Reported to Police. M. F. Ward reported to the police yes