The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-04
Special Session Votes That the
Mecca and Calhoun Must
Pay Full Amounts
MAYOR is DETERMINED
TO HAVE LAW ENFORCED
If the Amounts Are Not Paid BY Noon
Today the Places viii Be
Closed for the
Year.

In special session yesterday afternoon
the City Council reconsidered its action
| of December 10, and decided to issue no
license to the Calhoun Distillng Co,
Twentieth street and First avenue, and
to the Mecca LIQUOR Co, 1863 First ave-
nue.. to do either a retail or a wholesale
liquor business in the city of Birmingham
during 1907.
The special session was called, and the
councilmen took the unexpected and caus-
tic action referred to above on account
of the fact that the demands of the IL
cense collector had been rejected some
short time previously.
| This objection to the payment of the
license imposed, and the subsequent action
of the council, was the issue of more
or less audible wrangle which has been
in existence since December 10. The city,
by the action of the council yesterday
afternoon, is determined to back up its
original stand in the matter of liquor
licenses, and the Mayor has gone on rec
ord as stating that unless these firms
paid the full amount of the license that
the board considers due the city by noon
today, their doors will be colsed, to be
opened no more this year.
The Mayors Explanation.
The Mayor, when asked for statement.
replied in his characteristic way, that the
entire matter had narrowed itself down
to question as to whether the city or
the liquor interests should make and en-
force the laws of the city. He went on
record as stating that the city should
make its own laws, and that If the laws
were not complied with he would make
use of his every resource in getting them
honored.
The Mayor said:
! THE board was called to meet and pass
on the report of the excise committee,
which committee held Its meeting some
moments before. 1t was necessary that
the board endorse the report of the excise
committee, before its report could become
a part of the records Inasmuch as we all
desired to enforce the law as affecting the
LIQUOR interests Immediately, 1t was
deemed best not to wait until the next
regular meeting of the council, some two
weeks hence.
I'm reference to the Mecca and the Cal
houn Distilling companies, these firms
knew December 10 what was expected of
them, viz: that they would be compelled
to take out two licenses, one for oper
ating a saloon for white patronage and
the other for operating a saloon for ne
groes. When License Inspector Began
demanded from each of these concerns
| the licenses for both of their respective
saloons, the full payment was refused. l.
is understood that they were willing to
pay one license for the operation OF their
two businesses.
ut had simply narrowed itself down TO
a question as to whether the city or the
LIQUOR interests should make the laws,
| and which enforce them. We thought
that it would be better for the city to
exercise those functions"
The Council Acts.
The excise committee held its meeting.
and it's report presented to the council
for adoption.
| Present. at the meeting were Mayor
Ward Aldermen Wheeler, O'Neill, Bar
bour Copeland, d. r., Moore, Cooper.
| Gum. Heidi, Gray and Sims.
These aldermen. representing quo
rum of the board, adopted the report
unanimously.
| The resolutions as affecting the two sa-
looms concerned follow:
BE it recommended that the action
of the board of December 49, 1906 be
reconsidered and that no license be is
sued as applied for by the Calhoun Dis
| filling company, either for retail or
| wholesale, the same being on the north
west corner of Twentieth street and First
avenue, with two entrances on First ave-
nue. and one on Twentieth street.
'"That the action of the board on De-
cember 10, 1906, be reconsidered and that
no license be issued applied for by
the Mecca Liquor company, either for re-
tail or wholesale; the same being To-
| Gated at 1909 First avenue, the same hav-
ing one entrance on Morris and one en-
| trance on First avenues"
All of the aldermen with the exception
OF Alderman ONeill, voted in favor of
the above. Alderman o'Neill passed his
vote.
In addition to the above. the council
agreed to grant license for the opera
ton of a saloon by Fuqua Bros, at 600
South Eighth street, and that license
for saloon be granted to the Birming
ham Trading company to operate at 500
South Sixteenth street. Application for
licenses by these two saloons were for
merly rejected.
Propositions Made.
| After the resolutions above referred to
were adopted, the representative of the
Mecca Liquor company stated that his
business would pay the two licenses, but
would pay them under protest.
| A. Latady, legal counsel for the CAL
houn Distilling company. stated that he
would make a tender this morning of
such an amount as he thought his peo-
pie should pay.
After the meeting, the Mayor made
the following statement to representa-
tive OF The Age-Herald:
II wish to state and go on record right
here that the city will proceed to close
| both of these saloons and keep them
closed if the proper amounts are not
forthcoming by noon today"
| Proir to the positive action Of the coun-
| ell yesterday afternoon. there had been
| the evidences of much disagreement be-
| tween the city administration and the
| saloons This was due to the fact that
the recent action of the excise commit