The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-21
CITY MAY COLLECT
FRUIT STAND RENTS
Mayor Takes Up Matter With
City Attorney
MEANS LARGE REVENUE
Mayor Thinks City and Not Auditing
Property Owners Control Side
waIk-officer Muir
ply Reports.
MEANS LARGE REVENUE

The Mayor will take up Immediately
with City Attorney Edward D. Smith
the matter of the city of Birmingham
collecting revenues from fruit stands, for
rents in addition to the regular mer-
chants license.
In other words the city officials are
going to make an effort to secure the
rents for the citys exchequerer from the
fruit vendors instead of allowing it to
go to real estate agents for property
owners.
81 feel almost sure that the Mayor and
Aldermen of Birmingham have the right
to collect these rents instead of the
landlords" said the Mayor yesterday
afternoon, "and l shall take up the mat
ter Immediately with City Attorney
Smith. He will probably be asked to
make a report to the City Council on the
matter at his earliest convenience"
The twenty five or thirty fruit stands
occupying the Sidewalks Of Birmingham
pay rents to landlords, it is said, month
| ly ranging from $50 to $50 per month. The
position of the Mayor is that the side
walks belong to the city and not to abut-
ting property owners, hence the point he
has brought up. If it goes through the
city will receive thousands of dollars in
revenue amounting from this source.
Crusade Being Made.
This follows the crusade now being
made by the Mayor and Aldermen against
fruit stands occupying too much space
on the sidewalks in the business portion
of the city. 1t will be recalled that an
ordinance was adopted at the last meet
ing of the City Council limiting fruit
stands as to the space they can use. Tn
der the terms of the new ordinance the
space designated is twenty-five by three
feet.
! Upon request of the Mayor Chief of
Police Wier detailed Officer Murphy to
visit all of the fruit stands in the city
and to make measurements The officer
reported to the Mayor yesterday and his
report shows that every fruit stand in
Birmingham extends over the limit.
The ordinance becomes effective i'm
mediately and the proprietors of the
stands have been warned that they must
come within the prescribed limit by
| Monday night. Tuesday morning the
street forces of the city will proceed to
move all refrigerators, barrels, bottles
and other things around fruit stands not
being used.
The following is the report of Officer
Murphy, a copy of which was furnished
Street Commissioner John Nj. McCartin:
Report of officers.
Birmingham, Ala, May 20, 1905.
Hon. George b. Ward, Mayor, City
| Dear Sir-With reference to the fruit
| stands occupying the sidewalks, l wish
to make the following report which shows
F., the amount of walk now used by said
| fruit stands.
Stand at Peerless corner Second avenue
and Nineteenth street occupies space three
feet In width and forty-ni;,e feet In
! length.
| Stand at Norton's corner, Second ave-
nue. and Twentieth street occupies space
three feet in width and thirty-nine feet
! long.
| stand at Dude saloon, Second avenue
ard Twentieth street occupies space three
feet and thirty-nine feet long.
| Stand al Dewberrys Drug store, Sec
ond avenue ane Twenty-first street oc-
| cupies space three feet four inches wide
| and thirty-ive feet long.
/ Stand on First avenue and Twenty-first
| street occupies space three feet three
inches wide with proper length.
| Stand at Foxs corner, Fourth avenue
and Nineteenth street occupies space three
| feet wide and thirty-two feet long
! Stand at Market house corner, Fourth
| avenue and Twentieth street occupies
! three feet three inches wide with proper
| length.
Stand at Drug Store corner, on Twen-
| tieth street and Third avenue occupies
space three feet eight inches wide and
| tlirty-two feet long.
Stand at Stag corner. Third avenue and
| Twentieth street occupies space three feet
| four inches wide and thirty-fve feet long.
Stand at Cooper Furniture store at the
! corner of Twenty-first street and Sec
ond avenue occupies space three feet wide
and thirty-two feet long.
| Stand at saloon on corner of Second
avenue and Twenty-first street occupies
space three feet wide and thirty-two feet
| long.
Stand at Opera House corner, First ave-
nue. and Nineteenth street occupies space
| three feet four inches wide and twenty
| five feet long.
Stand at Bank saloon First avenue and
| Twentieth street occupies space three
feet wide and forty feet long.
Stand near Woodward building corner,
occupies space three feet three inches
wide with proper length
stand at Metropolitan hotel occupies
| space three feet three inches wide with
proper length
| stand at Adams Drug store Second ave-
nue. and Nineteenth street occupies space
| three feet three inches wide and twenty
J nine feet long.
| Stand at Scond avenue and Eighteenth
| street occupies space three feet wide and
forty-three feet long.
! Respectfully submitted
| (Signed) w. T.. MURPHY,
| Examining Officer.