The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-26
TAKE FILINGS AT
 OLD BIRMINGHAM
WoodIawn Speakers Say Big
 Town Is Bankrupt
DO NOT WANT TO ANNEX
Speakers Maintain Those Favorable To Annexation Are Actuated By Per sonal Spite Against Members
 of City Administration.

The anti-annexation mass meeting at the armory at Woodlawn last night, al- though attended by possibly less than POO citizens, was characterized by much enthusiasm. With the close of every ] speakers talk the building shook with the spirited stamping and applause of the audience present.
 The question at issue which brought about the mass meeting is that of wheth- CT Woodlawn shall vote to come into Birmingham immediately at the election which has been called for September 15 l or whether the town shall stay out of Greater Birmingham until the Greater Birmingham bill becomes effective in oc- tober, 1909.
 The speeches last night were free and unrestrained. some tending to be bitter. while others were good -natured. but at the same time earnest The crowd present was made up almost entirely of the fol- lowers of the administration faction of the Woodlawn city council and there were possibly not more than dozen annex ationists In the house.
 It Is understood. however. that the annexationists are only holding of for a few days, it being stated that they will within the next few days call a mass meeting at Woodlawn at which they will answer the argument of the speakers of last night
 Hot Against Annexation.
 Every speaker last night was an anti annexationist, tooth and toe-nail." Most of the argument was based on the state ment that Birmingham is now financially unable to look after Woodawn's inter- ests were the town to annex itself It was stated that the other suburbs which had been annexed are being neglected Birmingham was referred to several times as a "graft-beridden town" and one speaker said that until a more fit set of men were secured to steer the city's affairs he was unalterably opposed to Woodlawn's ever entering Greater Bir- mingham.
 w. M. Lindsay and T. c. Buckshaw. the leaders of the opposition, favoring annexation, were referred to in scathing terms. Mayor W. E. Perryman in his speech said that they had no interest in Birmingham at heart, but were acting simply on the impulse of personal feel Ing toward members of the Woodlawn city council who were fighting the ques- tion of immediate annexation. Shortly after o'clock the meeting was called to order by Robert K. Kennedy. E. Brewer was nominated and elected chairman and MT. Kennedy secretary of the meeting by exclamation.
 MT. Brewer in taking the chair stated that had noted news matter ip a papers which stated that the adminis- tration of Woodlawn was instrumental in having the mass meeting called. He said that the administration of Woodlawn needed no defense, but that members of the city council had called the meeting only upon the suggestion of citizens who thought an open mass meeting the best manner in which to thresh out the ques- tion of the immediate annexation of Woodlawn to Birmingham.
 Gibson's Speech Feature.
 Perhaps the feature speech of the mass meeting was that of Alderman J. B. Gib- son. In opening his speech MT. Gibson spoke of those whom he said had ques- toned the integrity of fellow citizens out of personal feeling and spite, in the most scathing terms, evidently having refer ence to the leaders of the annexationist faction.
 MT. Gibson dwelt on the question of schools, which, he said, the opposition had tackled and compared the Woodlawn schools with those of Birmingham He said that were Woodlawn annexed to Bir- mingham the result would be that the present Tenth and Eleventh wards, bor- dering on Woodlawn on the west and north, and which he said had virtually no schools, would crowd the Woodlawn schools and reap the benefits which Woodlawn children should have. He said that the Woodlawn council was preparing to erect a new city hall, to improve the streets, install sanitary sys- tenn, to put in numbers of street lights and install as many fire plugs as could be done with reason, and he said that this should be done before Woodlawn ties it's hands and feet and throws itself into Birmingham if it is ever to be done.
 Other Speakers.
 The other speeches were based on the statement that were Woodlawn annexed to Birmingham she would not receive the attention due. It was stated that possibly the utmost neglect would follow at the hands of "a city which is almost bank rupt'' and which Ifs already financially unable to look after what it has within it's corporate limits"
 Mayor W. E. Perryman made the con- cluding speech. He rected the history of the fight and charged the opposition with pursuing a deceitful policy. He asked If men Hike Lindsay and Buck shaw, who would run down and criticize conditions in their own town, were desir- able citizens?" He was greeted with re- plies of No"
 He concluded by saying that 'the peo- pie of Woodlawn were too sensible to be led into a trap by Lindsay and Buck shaw, who have not the interest of Bir- mingham at heart, but who are being prompted by the impulse of personal feel ing and spite toward members of the board of aldermen who are opposed to l the immediate annexation of Woodlawn