The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-29
SENATOR MILLER WOULD
 LEAVE IT TO THE VOTERS
Sanitary Needs and General Welfare of the District Demand That All Be Included In One Big
 Municipality.

| City and Mayor Frank Smith of Elyton, was appointed to consult with the city at torneys of the different municipalities for the purpose of drafting bill providing for the arbitrary extension of the limits of Birmingham, and a companion bill pro- viding for the government of these diff ferent towns.
 Both of these bills are to be submitted at the July session of the legislature for passage. This committee, together with the city attorneys of the nine municipal- l ties, will form a committee of twelve, everyone of whom represents territory outside of the present limits of Birming- ham.
 Strong for Arbitrary Extension. 1 The sentiment of the meeting was very strong towards the making of a Greater Birmingham under the provisions outlined in Representative Kings bill, which is to the effect that the limits shall be ar bitrarily extended. This extension is to take effect in 1909 and under the bill the different municipalities are to be allowed to issue the full amount of bonds to which they are entitled during the next two years these bonds to be used for | the construction of school houses and other public Improvements. When the limits are extended these bonds are to be assumed by the Greater Birmingham cor poration.
 The meeting was called to order yester- day by Representative King, who set forth in detail the plans of the two bills which he Is to introduce at the July session. MT. King stated that he was of the opin- ion that every town in the valley should be taken itno the Greater Birmingham, but that he had attended a meeting in Ensley the might before and had found the sentiment so strong against the plan that he had consented to drop that town. Pratt City was to be taken in, however, as the sentiment In that town was strong ly in favor of the bill.
 Want Square Deal for All.
 All the speakers were very strongly ir favor of a Greater Birmingham, but stated that they must be fully assured of a square deal. Mir. King explained to them that under his bill each town was to have one commissioner, hence the ter ritory outside of the limits would have nine commissioners while Birmingham would have only one, so that it would be up to them if they did not treat them selves fairly.
 The plea that the sanitary necessities of this district absolutely demanded per 1 feet system of sewerage and that the only way in which a perfect system can be | established is to have all of this area un- der one government met with the hearty endorsement of everyone, and several strong talks were made along this line.
 There were talks by George Whitfield, Roscoe Mcconnell, Dr. George W. Brown, R. D. Dunlap J. H. F. Moseley, J. T. Blakesmore, w. B. Dickerson, R. H. Ha- good, William Spencer, Senator N. l.. Miller and others.
 Senator Miller Seeks Approval.
 Senator Miller stated that personally he would profit by a greater Birmingham, but that he would not support a bill without the referendum proposition unless | it was shown to him that the people in these different municipalities were unanimous in their sentiment demanding l the extension of the limits. He said he was thoroughly in favor of the exten- | sion of the limits, but thought that the matter should be submitted to the people for their vote.
 J. H. F. Moseley represented organized labor, and stated that perfect sanitary conditions were absoluteiy necessary for the surrounding of a laboring man. He said that when a working man lost sev- eral days from his work on account of sickness it was a severe blow, and that it was his opinion that large percent of | the sickness in Birmingham was the re- suit of our defective drainage system. Assistant Postmaster Blakemore said 1 that the mail service would be greatly improved if it was shown that the popu- lation had been greatly increased. He said that there would be two deliveries of mail where there is now but one, and l there would be at least one delivery at | places where there is none at present. He said it would take Ensley and Pratt City over five years to secure thorough free 1 delivery unless they came into Greater Birmingham.
 Would Take Ensey Arbitrarily.
 The very sentiment of the meeting was expressed by William Spencer who stated | that these towns should be brought m | whether they wanted to or not, and that | Ensley should be brought along with the l rest. He mentioned that Greater Birming- | ham was an absolute necessity. and that l there should be one regardless of any 1 opposition.
 The speakers were very strong in their opinion that Ensley should be brought in against her wishes.
 MT. King stated that it would consume too much time to hold twenty elections one in each of the municipalities and one in Birmingham to consider each of the other municipalities-and that if the mat ter should start off in this manner a practicable solution would never be ar rived at
 R. H. Hagood moved that a committee of three be appointed with the chairman of the meeting, J. c. King, as chairman, to confer with the city attorneys of the nine municipalities which it proposed to incorporate into Birmingham for the pur- pose of drafting two bills, one stating the arbitrary boundary lines and one pro- viding for the government of the Greater Birmingham. This motion was seconded and passed. This committee is to report at another meeting to be held shortly
 Chairman King announced the other two committeeman as being Dr. George w.. Brown of Pratt City and Mayor Frank Smith of Elyton.