The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-05
Board of Trade Addresses Reso-
 lUtionS to Council
ACT ON WATERWORKS BILL
Letters Are Sent to Various State offi- clals Urging Them to Assist In Passing the Haley Municipal
 Ownership Bill.

Aldermen to give the Tidewater Develop ment company franchise on Fifth ave nue, with certain very stringent con dltions attached. was adopted by the Board of Trade yesterday morning
 J. M. Dewberry, president of the com pany was present and accepted the resolution. A committee will appear be- fore the council Wednesday night to urge that the council act along the lines of this resolution. which Is as fol- lows:
 Whereas, the Tidewater Development company, proposes to build an electric railway from Gadsden and from Tusca- loosa to Birmingham and has petitioned the board of mayor and aldermen to cars along Fifth avenue through the city of Birmingham, all other available ave nues being occupied by car tracks.
 And. whereas this company, in addi- 1 ton to furnishing a competitive service in electric lighting and power for this district, further proposes to give f1ve-cent fares from Ensley and Pratt City. to furnish an interurhan service which will knit this whole district together with Birmingham as its radiating center and will therefore prove the greatest advan. 1 tage to the merchants of Birmingham by increasing the trading population of this city and giving adequate and cheap CT electric power and lighting service.
 And whereas this company proposes that any other car line desiring to en- ter the city may come In over its tracks on Fifth avenue, thus maintaining an open avenue of access to Birmingham for all similar projects in the future.
 And whereas it Is the sense of the Board of Trade that the latter object would be best obtained by the munich pal ownership Of the tracks. to be laid on Fifth avenue, the majority of the property owners on that avenue having petitioned for electric service.
 "Now, therefore, be it resolved that the board of mayor and aldermen are hereby petitioned and urged in behalf of the merchants of this city that they will grant to the Tidewater Develop | along Fifth avenue upon the condition that said tracks shall become the prop- erty of the city of Birmingham.
 Be 1t further resolved, that we would favor a, proposition involving the con- struction of the road by the Tidewater Development company upon the eondi- ton that the road shall, in consideration of the right of said company to use the same become the property of the city, the tracks to be maintained by the Tide water company and the other companies that may jointly use the same without liability or cost of maintenance to the city"
 resolution was adopted favoring the good roads bill which is before the legls- lature, It was drawn by the Alabama Good Roads association.
 urge WaterWorks Legislation.
 At meeting of the Board of Trade yesterday morning a resolution was unanimously passed calling on the Jeff ferson delegation, the governor and lieu tenant governor to aid in the passage of the bill introduced by Representative Haley, in regard to the purchase and ownership df waterworks by municipall- ties
 The resolution was introduced by Pres | ident Shelby. and he was authorized to Write letters to members of the legsla- ture urging their support of the bill. In compliance with those instructions he sent the following letter yesterday after noon to Governor Conner. Lieutenant Governor Gray. Senator Miller, Senator Lowe and Representatives Haley, Glover. Ragsdale, John. Lovelady, Urauhart. Pitts, Foster and Carmichael:
 Letters Sent to Officials. Birmingham, Feb 4 1907 Dear Sir-Will you permit me to bring to your especial attention the following resolution which was unanimously adopt ed by the Birmingham Board of Trade at it's regular meeting held today:
 "Believing that tlRre is an urgent ne- cessty for the city of Birmingham to own and control it's waterworks, re- solved:
 "Flrst-That the Board of Trade hereby indorses the bill which has been intro- duced by Hon. L. J. Haley. entitled H. B. No. 543, a bill entitled an act 70 authorize the cities of the state of Ala bama to erect, acquire, enlarge, maintain and operate a waterworks system and to provide the details of the same.
 Resolved, that a copy of this resolu- tion be sent to each member of the Jeff ferson county delegation, including the senator and the governor and lieutenant governor, city attorney, and these gentle men be urgently requested if possible, to have the same passed and approved before the legislature takes an adjourn ment.
 "Second-That we believe that our rep resentatives could not do a more bene- fcal act for the city of Birmingham and surrounding municipalities than to have this bill passed at once"
 The bill referred to is of particular irh- portance to the city of Birmingham and adjacent territory, and I am, therefore. requested to respectfully ask your in- fiuence toward the approval and passage of this bill, for which there Is much de- mand. and which Is drawn in the interest of the many and opposed by the few.
 Yours very truly.
 J. F. SHELBY, President.