The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-16
COUNCIL DIFFERS ACTION IN BEHALF OF MORE SCHOOLS Turns Over Urgent Petition To Tender Mercies Of The
 Finance Committee EAST LAKE INVITED
 AND WO0DLAWN, TOO City Council Has a Meeting of Long Duration-Mayor's Action In Refer
 ence to Fred Wehaee Is Sustained.


 tions of prevailing interest were brought to the fore-Greater Birmingham and mat ters entertaining to the construction of new school buildings.
 The question of more extensive school facilities for the city was brought through a copImunication from the Board of Educatbn, presented by Alderman Gregg. The communication in question embodied the statement that at the last meeting of the Board of Education reso- luton was introduced and unanimously adopted bearing on the urgency of an election being held to decide whether or not the city should issue bonds in an aggregate amount of $SOO,OOo for the ex- tension of the present school system. It also stated that owing to the recent an nexation of several of the suburbs the Board of Education has reconsldered the matter and finds that it will be necessary for an issue of $350,OO0 worth of bonds In order that ali sections might be done jus tice.
 Plea for School Facilities.
 MT. Gregg set forth the fact that the matter was one of extreme importance' and one in which much interest IS cen tered, and stated that he hoped the Clty Council would give the communication the most careful consideration before It took any adverse action. He stated that the Board of Education was in position to know just how the city stands in the matter of public schools, and urged on behalf of the board that the election be called.
 The communication was turned over to the finance committee for consideration The committee is expected to report at the next meeting of the council. The petition of the city of Elyton TOT a public school site was referred to the Mayor and city attorney of Birmingham and the Mayor and city attorney of Ely ton for investigation, the committee to report back to the council at the next i meeting.
 East Lake Invited. 1 Under the head of the report or the ! Greater Birmingham committee It was recommended that the town of East Lake he invited to become part of the greater city. This part of the committees re- port was adopted. It is expected tnat within the next few days the City Coun- cil of East Lake will call an election TOT the purpose of presenting the matter to the people in order that they may decide whether or not East Lake shall become annexed to Birmingham Immediately lh- stead of waiting until the Greater Bir- 1 mingham bill becomes effective
 The question of the immediate annex ation of Woodlawn was brought up and 1 caused a stir in the council. Alderman Jones, reporting for the Greater Blrinihs- ham committee stated that the commit tee had received two petitions from cit izens of Woodlawn, one asking that Woodlawn be invited to come into Great CT Birmingham and the other asking that the matter be delayed.
 The Woodlawn Petition.
 Alderman D. R. Copeland took the l floor and stated that the matter had already been before the council and | he wanted the petitions referred to the | Greater Birmingham committee. How ever, the question was put to vote and the council decided to reconsider the matter of the immediate annexa- tion of Woodlawn. After quite lot or spirited discussion Alderman Estes made motion that an ordinance in- viting Woodlawn to come into Bir- mingham be adopted and the motion was carried unanimously.
 With that action of the City Council there terminates what has proved bitter fight There have been two fac tions in Woodlawn, one seeking to keep the question out of the Birmingham council and the other being just az energetic in its efforts to have the matter brought up.
 w. M. Lindsay and T. c. Bucksha aw of Woodlawn were present at the meet ing last night and 1t was at their in- stigation that the following petition, which was granted was introduced; To the Honorable Mayor and Board of
 Aldermen of the City of Birmingham
 Gentlemen-We, the undersigned representing not only ourselves, but also a number of qualified voters and also a number of tax payers in the city of Woodlawn, humbly petition your honorable body to extend to the city of Woodlawn an invitation to annex itself to the city of Birmingham in ac- cordance with the privileges and op- portunities afforded to said town ol Woodlawn through the recent laws enacted by our state legislature.
 Reviewing the Case.
 For your information we would say that in January last. when the entire section known as Greater Birmingham voted on the question of annexation the vote of Woodlawn stood 222 ir favor as against 103 opposed, whicr vote In itself is an indication to you that the great majority of the citizens of our thriving and beautiful city arc anxious to be annexed.
 We have every reason to believe tha if the question of immediate annexa. tion had been before the voters ci l Woodlawn in January last the result would have been the same, or. to bt conservative, there would have beer more than a majority of the votes cast for immediate annexation.
 We were prepared last Monday night