The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-03
BESSEMER STOPS GAMES BY NEGROES City Council Holds Busy and
 Fruitful Session FIGHT WATERWORKS CASE Consensus of Opinion Seems to Be That the Case Will Be Carried to
 the Highest Courts
 for Discussion.
FIGHT WATERWORKS CASE

Bessemer October 2.-(special)-The Board of Aldermen met tonight in the council chamber of the city hall and was called to order by Alderman l. A. Lewis. The following aldermen answered to the roll call: l. A. Lewis, T. J. Bissett, A A. Ross, W. S. Edge, J. D. OGara, J. M. Crools and J. K. Hairless.
 Mayor J. J. Sullivan then took the chair, and City Clerk Cook read the minutes of the last meeting.
 The reports of officers was then taken up. City Physician J. S. Winters made several recommendations and highly con graduated MT Doyle on the sanitary con dtion of the jail and fire department, and also the work of sanitary officer, B. F. Thompson.
 City Engineer McIniry stated that he had employed gang of men in opening the sewers after the recent rains, and the streets would be drained in few days
 The resignation of Alderman Andolpn Wegeln. who has moved to Birmingham. was accepted with regrets.
 Under the reports of committees, the building committee recommended that the petition of Howard C. Palmer. colored. to erect one-story residence to be used by himself on Arlington avenue between Twenty first and Twenty second streets, be disallowed The report was adopted.
 The street and light committee recom- mended that an arc light be placed in front of the Episcopal church on Arling ton avenue, and that the city attorney be instructed to draw up an ordinance for the construction of sidewalks in front of the Roberts school, and also connect ing the steps of both the Roberts and the Clarendon schools with the sidewalk. The report was adopted. Judge W. P. Gum presented a petition of the Presby terian church for twelve months to pay it's sidewalk assessments, and the coun- cil granted all of the churches six months for this purpose.
 The report of the finance committee recommending that all the bills of the city be paid and that the city cease to feed stock and shoe horses which are not it's own, was accepted and passed.
 Petitions.
 The clerk then read petition from ex- Chief George w. Jones. asking that the city pay him for the last day of Septem- Der, $3.75, which the chairman of the po- lice commission had ordered withheld was granted by motion of Alderman Bissett.
 The matter of granting a franchise to the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company to lay a double track ct 1icpteqad. and it was decided to take no action un- til the company stated the exact time when they expect to do the work
 J. D. O'Gara was granted luther time to prepare an ordinance extending the fire limits.
 The request of Chief H. C. Christlieb that desk be purchased for the use of the two special men was denied. The purchasing agent, however. was given au- thority to buy books for the policemen at a cost not exceeding $5.
 A complaint was read from J. IT. John son and the Rush Drug company con- corning the condition of Second alley, which was referred to the sanitary com mittee.
 Games to Be Stopped.
 Aldermen I. A. Lewis voiced a complaint for several business men against the games being conducted on Second avenue and also on Twenty-first street. It Is said that men who go in these places with rolls of money come out with noth- Ing. The caption of an amendment to the city licenses was read. changing the license for these gaming dens from $6 per week to $25, thus practically eliminating them.
 Mayor Sullivan stated that he had de- cided to make several changes which he thought would benefit the city The first of these he announced at the meeting to- night, appointing himself chairman, and Aldermen Ross and O'Gara members of the street and light committee. In this action he said he had followed a prece- dent in other cities.
 WaterWorks Litigation.
 On suggestion of Alderman O'Garra the the last meetingshrdluetaoish position of the city in the water works question was taken under conslderatio At the last meeting an ordinance was passed reducing the rates for water one fourth, and today. when It should have gone into effect the water works com pany sued out a writ of injunction be- fore Judge Coleman in Birmingham, for bidding the city 10 interfere in the col lection of water bills
 City Attorney Ben G. Perry stated that this ordinance had been drawn up by the firm of Welsh, Jones & Estes who had agreed to push the water works question through, but that MT. Estes had stated that their agreement was only to intro- duce the ordinance. Attorney Welsh who was present, said that, although he him self had already done great amount of work in the matter free of charge, he was still willing, if the council request ed. to fight it out to the end without any remuneration. He was highly commented Son his stand by all the gentlemen pres ent. It was decided to instruct Attorney Perry to draw up his plans for defense including the professional assistance he will need and to present them to a called meeting of the board It was stated that six such disputes between other cities and water works companies had been carried to the supreme court of the United States, and in every one the decision had been in favor of the municipality.
 There is a subscription being taken by the citizens. and there is no doubt but that the case will be fought to the highest courts.
 The only other business transacted was change in the date of paying the city's employees from the 1st to the 10th of the month, after which the council adjourned
 
 NEW DOPE SHEET tS'