The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-04
FRANCHISE BEING
WARMLY DISCUSSED
THE REV. DIR. DICKINSON AND
y ALDERMAN FoRNEY WRITE LET.
TIERS REGARDING RAILWAY,
LIGHT & POWER co.'s PETITION

At tho regular semi-monthly meeting Of
that body. which viii be held next
Wednesday night a warm discussion is
/ expected over the petition of the Birming.
ham Railway, Light and Power company
for the right to lay tracks along certain
streets and avenues Several citizens arr
protesting against that part of the pro-
posed ordinance granting to the street rail-
way company the right to lay Its tracks
along a PARTON of Fifth avenue. Mayor
Ward and a number OF the other members
of the Council have openly expressed
themselves as being opposed to Fifth ave-
nue. being cut up with street car tracks.
Before the matter reaches tho council,
however, it will have been considered by
two committeeman just when these
committees will maet remains a question
of doubt. However 1t is probable that
they will hold joint meeting on Tues
day.
The Rev. DR.. A. ]. Dickinson. pastor OF
the First Baptist church. announces that
he will deliver sermon this morning
directed against the street railway com
pany He also announces that he will
follow up his sermon with a resolution
which he will introduce at the meeting
of the Pastors union tomorrow morning
at 10 o'clock.
The following letters have been sent to
The Age-Herald;
Rev. Mr.. Dickerson Writes.
To the Editor of the Age-Herald
Permit me as a citizen to call the at
tention of the people of Birmingham to
the franchises called for by the Birming-
ham Railway Light and Power company
For the consideration of $6505 this cor
poration asks to be granted the rights
of way over miles and miles of the streets
of this city, some of them destined to
become crowded thoroughfares. This
franchise is practically an exclusive one
since only two tracks are possible on the
same street. The consideration Is so
small to make the franchise prac-
tically a free gift. The value of this
franchise may be inferred from the fact
that already with less than three mil
lions of tangible taxable property, this
corporation has stocks and bonds to the
value of twenty millions. Whence this
seventeen millions value; If not from the
franchise, generous city. Council be-
slowed upon them for mess of pottage?
Surely when franchises are valuable
enough to float all this water at pa
they should not be sought for such con
ton. The citizens of this city during the
next thirty years are going to pay to this
company not the value of their equip
ment. cost of operation, but an immense
volume of water made possible by this
franchise. The council should guard
against this method of increasing "the
Newman interests" in Birmingham |
protest, therefore, against the granting
of this franchise unless the interests Of
du1 to1
against this subtle form of extortlon
through the watered stock
Again after the interest of the citizen
ship has been duly protected this fran
chise ought to be made to expire on some
date as those hitherto granted this cor
poraton. Thirty years from now these
franchises will be worth millions to the
people of this city. They are ALREADY
valuable If they only know how to use
them. But If all these franchises retur',
to the city at the same time they viii
be much more valuable. II munclpa'
ownership and operation be then advis
able all these franchises will be needed
at the same time. If they are to be re-
sold for another term of years they will
he much more valuable IL all are for sal
So protest against destroying the value
of these franchises for posterity by break
ing them up in this fashion
1t Is claimed that the city has a right
to raise the license taxes on these cor
porations controlling her public utilities
and can thus get a return from the priv
leges 1t has given away. 1t does not com
port with the wisest business sense to do
nate property to parties and count on the
taxing power to get 1t back. I doubt
whether the courts would hold that the
city has such power. At any rate 1t IS
not wise to give away property count
ing ON a law suit as a means of collect
ing its franchise price. In this matter
we are dealing in the rights OF the valu-
able properties of our children. Thirty
years is a long time. Shall we guard
their rights or waste their heritage In
the Newman lnterests?" 1t seems to M
we have already done quite enough for
that interest Let us have a meeting of
citizens to discuss this matter, Now is
the time to determine the equities In this
case. Could we not get some other in
terest to bid on these valuable fran
chises? Let each citizen do his duty and
let the council see that no wrong be done
to the public. A. ]. DICKINSON
Birmingham, March 2, 1906
Alderman Forney's Views