The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-20
NEW ORLEANS PARTY
VISITS BIRMINGHAM
Mayor Behrman Impressed
With Progress of City
STREET PAVING INSPECTED
New Orleans Is to Spend Many Mil
lions for Public Improvements.
BltuIithic Paving Looked
On With Favor.
STREET PAVING INSPECTED

Eleven officials of the city of New Or
leans. headed by Mayor Martin Behrman,
spent greater part of yesterday in Bir-
mingham, inspecting street paving. They
arrived at noon and will return to the
Crescent city this morning.
Shortly after the arrival of the party in
Birmingham they were carried to the
Country club, where a luncheon was
served They then made tour of inspec-
ton of the streets of Birmingham, both
in the residence and business sections.
Last night a dinner was rendered them
at the Hotel Hillman.
All of the members of the committee
appointed by the council of New Orleans
appeared to be favorably. impressed with
what they saw in Birmingham.
I'VE visited the business and the resi-
dence sections of Birmingham this after
noon and We're greatly surprised at what
we saw" said Mayor Behman at the
Hillman last night.
/ Most everybody has heard of the Magic
! City of the south I suppose, but I never
dreamed that would see such a hustling
business-lilke place, when 1 came to Bir-
| everybody seems to be prosperous and
happy The members of the committee
feel amply repaid for the long trip.
! Pleased With Highland Avenue.
THE object of our visit here is to make
a thorough inspection of the bitulithic
pavement, which we find has been laid
| in large quantities in Birmingham. We
first took a drive along Highland ave
nue., and 1 think that every citizen OF
Birmingham should feel great pride
in having such a beautiful boulevard.
There are few, if any in the south, that
can exceed Highland avenue in beauty.
In my opinion it is an ideal driveway.
Fifth avenue was also inspected cares
i fully. as well as the many of the streets
! in the business sections that have been
laid with bitulithic. Later we went to the
| plant of the paving company on the
Southside and observed carefully the mode
of manufacturing this paving material.
T "The committee is to report back to the
| City Council as to their observations in
| Birmingham. We are all favoraby i'm
pressed with the bitulithic paving here
and no doubt unanimous report will be
ing the adoption of this material for the
streets in New Orleans, that are to be
paved In addition to receiving consider
able information on the merits of btu
lithic from the representatives of the
| company, we talked with officials of the
city of Birmingham as well as a num-
Der of private citizens and tax payers.
! They all spoke of 1t in a most favorable
manner saying that after test of sew
eral years that bitulithic had proven it
self to be the ideal paving for both
residence and business streets.
eve had the officials of the company
this afternoon to cut out section of
their paving in use and to replace 1t, to
show us that 1t could be repaired success
fully. We were impressed with the dem
onstration. 1 am sure that the tax payers
of New Orleans will all want bitulithic
adopted when they once see 1t laid and
| in use.
New Orleans Is Growing.
New Orleans is growing rapidly. and
to prove this fact will call your attention
to the fact that the increase in assess
ments for last year exceeded those of the
year before by the enormous sum of
$3S,OOO.OOO. We have issued public inn
provement bonds to the amount of $l4
5000 for the purpose of securing funds
with which to build a sewerage, drainage
and water works system. In addition to
this a bill has been introduced in the
Louisiana legislature giving us the power
to issue other bonds to the amount of.
IS, 600, 600 giving us big total of $22,-
100000 for public Improvements.
And, best of all, New Orleans is not
going to have any yellow fever this sum-
mer. You see we have no mosquitoes"
Mayor Behrman was in office during the
yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans last
summer.
Personnel of Committee.
The New Orleans delegation is composed
of Mayor Behrman, Thomas O'Connor,
chief of the fire department; Thomas
Cornell, clerk of the district court, and
City Councimen O'connor, Goebel, Sey-
moilr Junker, Barrett. Cahill Brandao
and Kelly. Richard NJ. Hyams, New Or
leans representative of the Southern
officials.
While in Birmingham the committee
was entertained by r. NJ. Ingram of
Nashville and John e. Donelson officials
of the paving company, and Street Com
missioner John NJ. McCartin.