The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-06

nlv the whole district. These bonds could
have been issued and sold, and the work
of construction actually begun, had it not
been for an injunction issued by the city
of Birmingham.
do not regard the source of the au-
thority to issue bonds for the proposed
work as material For my part, and l.
believe I can say just as truly for the
city Of North Birmingham, there is no
sort of objection; in fact, we invite ana
desire the appointment OF a commission
of representative citizens from Greater
Birmingham to have charge of the whole
matter of superintending the construction
and issuance of bonds for the erection OF
the system. This would absolutely m
sure the erection of the plant III the
shortest possible period of time with the
least expense and with entire freedom
from graft from any quarter.
Those who obtained the injunction
against the city of North Birmingham,
in my personal opinion, made mistake
in the remedy which they invoked. In
stead of suing out an injunction TO oeiay
they should have prayed for mandannus
to proceed. The vital question at issue IS
not and cannot be by whom the bonds
are issued, but it is how soon can they
be sold at a fair price, and how carry can
we go forward with the work
ambition is that of every other good cit
izen here to see this district the great
est in the SOUTH and the quail of any In
the United States. ] have no pride Oh
opinion whatever, and | am Wiling 10
discuss the question and give fair conslo-
Grafton to any suggestion from any quar-
Ter. provided it is to go forward with the
work.
| have long believed from cafeiul
tl,of hp
place from which to get the water is the
location secured near Phillips ferry, on
the Warrior river, in the northeast corner
of Walker county, Sipsey river district.
The advantage of this location is that
1t drains an area of 1900 square miles, ana
is absolutely free from any contamna-
ton and is above any OF the mining
plants, and is free from any pollution
whatever from that source. And TINS
opinion has been confirmed by numerous
engineers of the highest standing, the
most recent being Messrs. Truman II. Al
drich. CAPITALIST and business man; I. 5.
Miner. county engineer; e. ]. Dunn, rail-
road contractor; George b. Kelly and II.
M Ramsuer civil engineers of the high
est repute Their statements upon this
subject recently given to the press are I'M
answerable, and come from source I'M
impeachable from any quarter.
If the Commercial club of the city coun-
ell of Birmingham after making care
full examination by men of equally high
renute and capacity, can find better
location, | shall say to them, amen; but
do not believe and | am frank to say
So that it is possible to get up a contro-
versy on the subject.
What | want is TO see this work start.
know positively that neither OF the great
industrial companies of this district, who
are capable of handling this matter, de-
sires to do so. They all prefer that the
matter should be undertaken along broad
er lines by the public which will receive
the greatest benefit. But even II we
could get one of our private corporations
to undertake the work of getting water
supply into the district, it would still re-
main a private enterprise, under private
control and necessarily for private bene-
fit If 1t were utterly impossible for the
public authorities to take charge OF the
work it might be better for private In
stitution to do so, but 1t Is not necessary
and 1t is therefore wholly inadvisable
What we want is not private enterprise
| for private benefit, such as our present
monopoly is, but we want a public en-
terprlse for the public benefit and under
public control. We want it so that pri-
vate citizens will reap the benefit in a
| reduction of their water rents; we want
| 1t so that smaller enterprises would thick
| ly dot the whole valley, which they Will
| do IL the question was solved so they
could get water on equal, or substan-
| TALLY equal. terms with the great corpor-
atoms We want the great corporations
| to get water in such an abundance, and
at such a low price, that they will at
once go forward with their great schemes
of development. Now is the time to pro-
coed; there should be no delay. Respect
fully. r. II. FRIEL.
North birmingham. November 5. 1905