The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-05-07

asmuch as the petition was gotten up so
hurriedly no one knows but that 1t may
be presented to the probate judge today
or tomorrow
OF course, 1t is we'll known that the
great part of Birmingham's industries are
located east The district known as East
Birmingham has always included them,
and always will The question before the
voters of that district is whether the
benefits to be derived from incorporat-
ing separately are worth the price,
whether they will gain anything and
whether they will lose anything, whether
they will injure the prestige and reputa-
ton of Birmingham and hurt themselves
indirectly, or whether every one con-
cerned will be benefited
Mayor Ward very aptly put the mat
ter yesterday He said:
There seems to be a great deal of mis-
apprehension about the various Greater
Birmingham movements going on around
us.
1.-The city is not acting in the matter for
the purpose of getting a few more taxes
That has never been a consideration. The
amount we would receive would be trihing
as compared to the appropriations we Will
be morally bound and glad to spend on
the new territory.
1.-The city of Birmingham could not pos
sibly gain except in that prestige which
comes ITOI duulltOndl POPtio'iNh e'NN ~
ritoral expansion.
"Therefore IL the people in the disputed
territory are unable to figure out that 1t
is to their interest to join hands with
us-the financial loss is on them, and the
loss of prestige falls on us. There is alb
soutely no iDtention to thwart their
movement towards incorporation on the
part of the Mayor and Board of Alder
men, barring their attempt to go outside
of their legitimate territory. 1t is an
other matter however, when they try to
annex great Industrial plants mile away
for the purpose of giving basis for
bond issue that their own property could
not begin to carry.
These plants are practically and NOR
ally bound at present to the city of Biz
mingham under agreement made years
ago, when our boundaries were rear
ranged to suit Them and it is the duty
of every citizen of birmingham to see
that the property is not appropriated by
another town.
Has Not Antagonized Communities.
The course of the city has not been to
antagonze the incorporation of towns
such as Greymon. where the rights of the
city were not infringed, but 1t will make
a determined fight against other at
tempts. Protesting against the legality
of the incorporation of Elyton, City At
torney r. d. Smith has secured hearing
before Judge Sam Greene of the probate
court for Wednesday morning, when the
points In the case will be argued. The
city claims that since Elyton was incor-
porated years ago, those lines are still
legal, and the action of a week ago. by
which the town was reincorporated, tax
ing in more territory, without any ref
erence to the old lines, is Illegal.
When the judge decides on that ques-
ton he will either order or refuse to or
der an election to annex to Birmingham
the disputed territory. At the same time,
If East Birmingham has not filed her pa
pers, he will order ar election In the east
ern territory, on the question of coming
into Birmingham.
The optimists hope that the whole mat
ter may be settled, Elyton being content
with her old boundaries and the rest of
the unincorporated territory recognizing
the propriety of annexation with Birming-
ham.
There are those, however, who protest
that the only remedy is to let all the lit
lie towns incorporate, and then vote them
in by an act of the legislature, making
one great Birmingham. with no vote by
the people whatever Some suggest that
the act should not go into effect until 1910.