The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-19
BUSY SESSION OF
ENSLEY COUNCIL
Franchise Granted J. M. Dew
berry and Associates
NOW READY FOR BUSINESS
-
Miscellaneous and judiciary Commit.
tees VIII Hear Complaints of Cor
poratons Against Increase
In License Taxes.
NOW READY FOR BUSINESS

| Ensley. January Especial. 1.-The city
council of Ensley met In regular session
tonight and while nothing of very great
Importance was transacted the session
was very busy one and several matters
were considered and discussed.
Every member of the council was pres
ent except Alderman NJ. H. Sherman,
who is out of the city.
After the reading of the minutes Of
the last meeting the regular business
was passed to allow several gentlemen
present on special matters an opportunity
to address the council on the questions
in which they were interested.
A report of the street railway committee
to which had been referred the matter
OF granting ]. NJ. Dewberry and associates
franchise for the building of a street
railway through the streets and ave-
nues of the city. was called for and
read
The committee recommended the grant
ing of the franchise and after considerable
discussion. In which Mr.. Dewberry was
called upon several times to explain GER
tain features of the plan the report was
adopted and concurred in by a vote of
TO /.
The franchise stipulates that actual
| work shall begin on the building of the
road within twelve months from the
granting of the right to certain streets and
that the road shall be in operation within
two years from that date. The franchise
provides that before the actual work be-
gins the Mayor and City Council shall
stipulate what streets and avenues shall
be used by the road.
To Get to Business.
Mr.. Dewberry, just before the report
was adopted, announced that as soon as
the franchise had been granted by the
Ensiey council that he and his ASSOC
eiates would be ready TO begin business
as other franchises needed had already
been secured and that Ensley's was the
only one lacking.
A report from the street and light COM
mttee recommended that FIVE new street
lights be placed In various parts of the
city and that certain street crossings in
the business section of the city be paved
with vitrlfied brick. After considerable
discussion In which the fact was devel-
oped that several lights were needed In
every ward of the city, the report was
placed on the table for future reference.
Alderman Brierton made a statement
that he thought that If the railways OPP
Grating tracks across Nineteenth street
near the steel mill and furnaces in the
city We're requested to do so they would
build up the crossings so as to make them
passable He stated that these cross
ings were In very bad condition and would
remain so unless wooden timbers were
placed along the tracks. The clerk was
instructed to make request of the sew
eral roads whose tracks cross the street
to look into the matter.
Mr.. Hodge, representing the Southern
Bell Telephone and Telegraph company,
was present, and requested the council to
reconsider the license that had been as
sessed against his company. and asked
that it be reduced II possible.
To Adjust Licenses.
Mayor Scott suggested that as several
corporations doing business in the city
had not yet paid their license, and since
| IL is understood that they will contest the
payment, that all these matters be re-
| ferred to the miscellaneous and judiciary
committees, and that these committees
| set a time to hear and decide upon all the
| complaints and adjust them without hav-
ing to file suits If possible. The council
acted upon the suggestion of the mayor,
! and 1t was decided that the two commit
tees would set a date early next week
to take up the complaints of the two
| telephone companies. the Birmingham
| Railway, Light and Power company, the
| Birmingham Waterworks company and
| the Standard OIL company.
Addison w Lynch asked that reduc-
| ton be granted on the license assessed
against state insurance agents, making
the plea that during the past year the in
surance business had been very slack and
the prospect is that 1t will be light for
six months to come. The request was re-
fused and the license was allowed to re-
main at $50
| Tony Frank under the impression that
| an effort would be made to reduce the
| license against fruit and vegetable ped
dlers, made an address In which he stated
| that he and the other local dealers paid
something like $50 in license, and that he
| thought that the same license should be
assessed against those peddlers who come
from other places and come in direct com
petition with the local dealers, The license
of $50 against peddlers was allowed to
remain In force.
Ambulance Given Right of Way.
! A petition was readily signed by nearly
every physician in the city asking that a
special ordinance be adopted giving am
balances on emergency calls the right of
way over the streets and on railroad
crossings in the city Mr.. Echols of the
| firm of Echols & Anguin was present,
and with his driver stated that the am
| bulance often has to walt as long as TWEEN
| ty minutes for trains at the Nineteenth
street crossing. very often endangering
the lives of persons who have been hurt
in the plants. The city attorney was in
structed to draft an ordnance covering the
matter.
| Alderman Brierton stated that in view
of the fact that free mail delivery had
! been. promised the city of Ensley at the
end of the present fiscal year, he thought
that the chief of police or other proper
| official should look into the matter OF
having all the houses of the city proper-
ly numbered. 1t was ordered that the
sanitary inspector take the matter up
and have all houses numbered that have
not already been so treated
The matter Of gtInnIufn0 .ddftfona1 a.o