The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-06
By Vote of 8 to 7 the Pro- posed Increase is
 Voted Down
S5OO,OOO BOND ISSUE
 GOES TO THE PEOPLE
A Site in the Ninth Ward Is Purchased for a Crematory--No Saloons Licensed Near New Union
 Passenger Station.

year. The feature of the vote was the fact that it was the first stand taken by the new board of aldermen on the sa- loon question, and lined them up as fol- lows:
 In favor of increasing license-Mayor Ward, Aldermen Eggleston, Third ward; Copeland, D. R.. Third ward; Moore, Fourth ward; Cooper, Fifth ward; Full ghum, Sixth ward; Estes, Ninth ward.
 Against the increase of license-Alder- men Burnett. First ward; O'Neill. Sec ond ward; K1otz. Second ward; Cope land. J. R., Fourth ward; Hiedt, Sev- enth ward; Parker, Seventh ward Ho- gan, Eighth ward; Stockmar. Ninth ward.
 Other Matters Acted Upon.
 The meeting was long and full of little details. Besides the saloon license ac- ton the most important were placing a bond issue of $5OO,00O for storm sewer inn provements before the people for their approval; instructing the city attorney to draw up bill to be presented to the legislature providing that half of the road and bridge fund derived from each municipality in the county of Jeffer- son be turned over to that municipality for street improvement and maintenance; allowing several saloons to reopen and refusing to license any near the new depot; the purchase of a site for the crematory to cost $16,OOO from the Bir- mingham Realty company including most of the block between Avenue D and Avenue c, and between Fourteenth street and Fifteenth street, in the Ninth ward; the passage of improvement ordi- nances to the amount of $232,O0O, and the election of Harry Jones to succeed Henry B. Gray in the Eighth ward.
 A noticeable feature of the session was the part taken by the four new aldermen who were on the board for the first time. Especially was this true of AL aderman Estes from the Ninth ward, who introduced probably the most important resolutions of the whole meeting These were that all licenses for saloons In the red light district be revoked, effective January l, 1908, making 1t imperative that a saloon keeper prove his ownership, or lease of building in his own name, be- fore license be issued, and instructing the city engineer to draw up extensive improvement ordinances.
 The first of these has been discussed for long time, and was a part of the recommendation made by the mayor in his annual message. The increase of the saloon license was also one of the mayors recommendations, which was de- feated in the meeting last night. The mayor offered it as a way in which to cut out the undesirable saloons, and, In a roundabout manner, to keep off the local option fight for prohibition, which many are agitating.
 Alderman Moore Sworn In.
 he meeting was called to order at S:3O o'clock and the minutes read and adopted Alderman Walter Moore, who was absent at the inauguration last month, was called to the mayors desk and sworn in for the new term of of- flee.
 The rules were then suspended for the purpose of electing an alderman for the vacancy in the Eighth ward. Alderman Moore nominated Harry Jones, seconded by all the aldermen present. Alderman Stockmar moved the nominations be closed, and Mir Jones was elected unan- imously. MT. Jones has served the city long and faithfully, being one of the hardest working aldermen ever on the board, and his friends will be glad to hear of his election. He had been off the board just three weeks. as his term ex- pred at the last meeting. Alderman Heidt then read this report of the finance committee:
 Finance Committee.
 Present: Mayor, Heidt, Klotz, Cooper. Absent: Parker.
 The committee recommends that the petition of the William J. Lemp Brew ing company for a refund of license to be disallowed.
 That petition of Birmingham Free Kin dergarten association asking for an ap- propriation be allowed to the extent that 1t be given the sume of s25 per month for nine months beginning September l, 1907.
 That bill of Dr. George s. Brown for services rendered Officer Samuel Ham, ilton be referred to the Mayor with power to act.
 That the sum of 5000 be appropriated to the Board of Education to be credited to the bond fund.
 That judgment of O. s. Cargo against the city amounting to sl447p and the supreme court costs amounting 10 $2S.3o be ordered paid.
 That the Mayor be authorized to pur- chase from the Birmingham Realty com pany lots Ii to 20 inclusive in block 153 for $16000, terms 5000 cash and balance in one, two, three and four year pay ments, with interest at 5 per cent per annum.
 That Allen Cleveland be released from prison on payment of s25.
 That the following 1906 real and personal assessments upon personal property be set aside for the reasons given on the re- turns of the executions hereto attached, to-wit:
 Nos. 5S, 300 421, 63s, 6Ss. 935. 1901, 1927, 1496 I5O7 1737 1895, 24s4 293s. ss6O, 3424, s6s7. s7os. S729, s745. S7s9. 4117.
 Improvement Assessments Confirmed.
 For the benefit of Mir. Gates of the Lemp Brewery company action on the refund of his license was postponed and the re- port was adopted. The laborious task of confirmation of improvement ordinance assessments was then taken up and con- f1rmed as follows: No. 3s1, paving First al- ley from Eighteenth street to Twenty sixth street; 352 street improvement, J. P Willoughby protesting, Nos. 353. 3l5, 3s2.
 The following new improvement ordi- nances were passed:
 No. 32s, curbing and paving, Twenty
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