The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-22
ID PAY COLLECTOR
 A FIXED SALARY City Council Changes Percent
 age Remuneration PADDED CELLSF0R THE JAIL City Attorney Instructed to Investigate Franchise Rights of B. R., L. & p.
 Co.-Pooroom Drink
 ing Tabooed
PADDED CELLSFOR THE JAIL

While the sem-monthly meeting of the City Council last night was short. four important matters were acted on. and considerable routine business was dis patched.
 The city attorney was instructed 10 investigate fully the rights and franchises of the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power company particularly as to the rights of the city to regulate the quality and quantity of gas, electricity and street car service.
 The city license collector, beginning in 1907, was placed on a fixed salary of $2iG0 per annum instead of the percentage basis under which he is at present eom- pensated.
 X resolution was passed authorizing the padding of two cells in the city jail, the work to be done under the supervision of City Physician Hayes
 The city attorney was authorized to renew the fight of the city against the Birmingham Water Works company in the supreme court next week.
 Several ordinances calling for street improvement of various kinds were intro- duced and either adopted or the assess ments against the owners of contiguous property were confirmed.
 Present at the meeting were Mayor Ward and Aldermen Stockmar. Jones, Heidt. Cooper, I<lotz, ONeill, Greener, Copeland. J. R., Copeland. D. R., Full ghum and Barbour.
 License Collector Salaried.
 The action of placing the license col lector of the city on fixed salary had it's initiative in yesterday afternoons meeting of the finance committee. The committee report was made last night by Alderman Jones. The section affecting Collector Gambill is follows:
 "The committee reports that the salary of the license collector for the year 1907 be fixed at s24OO per annum; that said office be under direct control and su- pervision of the Mayor and Aldermen Of Birmngham that the license collector be required to give his entire time and ex- elusive attention to the duties of said 
 office"
 Before the vote on the report was taken, Mayor Ward called especial attention to l this section. It was separately voted on and carried unanimously. | As is generally known, the pay of the ! license collector for this and all pre- l vious years was not fixed, but was on { | percentage basis, the collector receiving 1 for his services a certain percentage oi | the amount collected. Collector Gambil | was not present at the meeting of the | City Council.
 To Investigate Franchises. | The instructions of City Attorney Smith ! to investigate the franchises of the Bir- mingham Railway. Light and Power com pany. was contained in the report of 1 the Judiciary committee. The section re- ferred to follows:
 Be it resolved by the Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Birmingham, that l the city attorney be, and is hereby in structed to investigate fully the fran 1 chise rights of the Birmingham Railway Light and Power company, and to report | to this board in regard to same, partic- | ularly as to the rights of the city, under | existing laws and conditions to regulate ! the quality and quantity of gas, electric 1 ity and street car service in the city of Birmingham
 | This section of the report, as well as 1 the report as d whole. was unanimously adopted.
 The above was not the only action oi the board which appertained to the Bii- mingham Railway, Light and Powei company. In the matter of ascertainine l the assessments under improvement or | dinance No 316, it was specified that the | Birmingham Railway, Light and Power 1 company was to pay s4.299.77 of the tota assessment of s23,254. .l5 for the paving of Avenue from Twentieth to Twenty 1 fourth streets.
 Two Padded Cells. The council authorized the padding of two of the cells in the city jail This work is to be done under the supervision of City Physician Hayes. | This action had it's initiative in reso- luton introduced at the previous meeting of the council, instructing the sanitation ! and police committee to investigate sud den deaths that had occurred in the jail I Chairman Hedt reported that after mak- ing the investigation, the committee wa' under the impression that the deaths re- ferred to were the results of falls sus- tained in the jail, in which the heads oi the deceased struck against the steel worl of the prison.
 Mir. Heldt stated also that City Physi clan Hayes informed him yesterday tha ] there were several demented men in th' city jail at present, and that one of then | had on the night before attempted to talk