The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-18
Legislature Did Not Intend Mu- nIcipal Code to Apply to
 Birmingham New
SECTION 199 PUT IN FOR
 HUNTSVILLE'S BENEFIT
E. K. Campbell Says Ward Stoutly Re. sisted Suggestion of Committee to Extend His Term of Office
 Till 1910.

Another chapter was added to Bir mingham's municipal muddle yester- day when Mayor Ward issued state ment setting forth tnat it was never the intention of the legislative com mittee which had the municipal code in charge that it should apply to Bir- mingham until after the expiration of the terms of office of the present ad- ministration.
 E. K. Campbell also contributed an interesting bit of information by say ing that Mayor Ward, before the legis- lative committee, stoutly resisted suggestion to the effect that the May or's term of office be extended to Jan- uary l, 1910. Here is the statement made by the Mayor last night: q read Ned Braces article with good deal of interest. He is undoubt- edly right that this is no time for our local embryonic statesmen to be jeopar- | dizing public affairs and peoples prop erty by their personal squabbles. l only regret that he was not in poses sion of certain facts which would have enabled him to make it clear that an appeal to the supreme court was not taken in any belligerent. or contentious spirit, but simply to safeguard the pub | lie interests.
 "There must be obtained from that court an interpretation of an ambigu- ous law. Until the supreme court does say what the law is and fixes the
 status of our municipal machinery, neither faction of the City Council nor both together could go forward l with certainty or safety.
 "It is my understanding that the op- | posing attorneys are cooperating to obtain an early decision. It should come soon after December 1.
 Wanted to Except Birmingham. While the question is up l would | like for the people to know some inside | facts, and that 1t was not the inten- | ton of the code committee to have the | city of Birmingham change it's form of | government in any particular until the present administration went out of of- | flee. AS a matter of fact they trimmed l and rewrote certain sections several i times in order to preclude such a pos
 sibility. Senator Strother, chairman of the senate committee, and MT. Gaston
 Gunter. chairman of the house commit
 tee have offered to make public
 statement to that effect.
 For Benefit of Huntsville.
 Section 199 was an after thought 1 put in for the benefit of Huntsville, and being drawn in general terms seems 1 to have reached further than anybody | had anticipated. Both Chairman 1 Strother and Chairman Gunter opposed
 it's adoption on the ground that it per verted the original and main object of 1 the bill and would make trouble in | some unforeseen way. Their judgment 1 has surely been verified.
 As far as I am concerned Chairman | O'Neill and Chairman Burnett and their | colleagues will have full scope in the | handling of their end of the city gov | ernment I wish them luck and will
 throw no obstacle in their way. The
 problem before them. will require much
 thought, but it will doubtless be ham
 died successfully.
 No Fight For More Authority. q have never been fighting for more
 authority, as some have been led to be- lieve, inasmuch as the new arrange | ment gives me twice as much as l had before. l fought as long as I knew
 how and in every way I knew how to
 aid the big forward movement for l strong, vigorous, harmonious munich l pal government, that was building up
 this city, making for betetr condi- tions and that would have gained the | applause of every citizen had it not
 been spoiled. It is a pity that it has 1 been spoiled.
 Before I stop talking, I wish to ex- | press thanks to all the citizens who 1 backed me up while I was in Monr-
 gomery by letters and telegrams. l would also like to see corrected the re- | ports which the afternoon papers | made much of that MT. Parker and my
 self. instead of carrying on the contest,
 were mainly engaged in falling over | each others necks.'