The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-13

legislature of existing county lines, but these cases are few and do not justify the adoption of a radical amendment to the state constitution permitting number less elections over the state for the ere ation of new counies, not demanded by public convenience but by the selflshness of ambitious towns or ambitious poll ticians. The proposed amendment was inspired by the ambitious citizens of Bes- semer. It receives its chief support from those who desire a division of Jefferson county, but 1t is safe to assert that if adopted it will rise up to plague many other counties in the state.
 Number of Counties Affected.
 Any county in the state having more than 600 square miles may, under the proposed amendment. be sooner or later called upon to contribute from it's terri tory, population and taxable values for the creation of a new county to gratify the ambition of some growing town or to create more valuable political offices. A large number of counties of the state and practically all of the more important counties, exceed 600 square miles in terri tory; so that if this amendment carries it is safe to say that sooner or later most of the counties in the state will be torn up with elections for the creation of iew counties.
 Sewerage and Water Supply.
 If the new county amendment is adopt ed the citizens of the town of Bessemer will at once call an election for the pur- pose of creating a new county with Bes- semer as its county seat The proposed new county would have it's northern boun- diary line between Bessemer and Birming ham, and would doubtless comprise all the territory lying south of a line drawn between Bessemer and Birmingham ex tending east and west across the coun- ty; so that the proposed new county, if formed, would take away from Jefferson county the great iron ore deposits on Red mountain the furnaces at Oxmoor and at Woodward, as well as all of the plants at Bessemer, and in addition the great territory of Pratt coking coal beginning somewhat south of Ensley and extending to the Warrior river. A very large DOT ton of the taxable values of Jefferson county would be taken away without any provision as to the assumption by the new county of it's proportion of the debt of Jefferson county.
 Jefferson county has existed in it's pres ent territory for nearly 100 years. It is the great coal and iron ore producing section of the state. Birmingham is it's commercial, political social and geograph- ical center The interests of all parts of the county are the same.
 The great work of constructing an ade- quate sewerage system so as to provide for the health of Jones valley from East Lake to Bessemer and from Birmingham to Ensley has been carried on under the direction of constituted authorities of Jefferson county The bonds for this en- terprise have been sold at an advan- tageous price, bearing a low rate of in- terest, because of the wealth and estsb- lished credit of Jefferson county. The control of this sewerage system and it's needed extension should be in the hands of one set of county officers.
 The most important industrial problem confronting Jefferson county in the early future is the problem of providing a cheap and abundant supply of water for manu- that the present supply of water in the Birmingham district is not adequate for any great increase in it's manufacturing plants and that a comprehensive system of water supply must be arranged if the district Is to have the growth to which it's wealth of raw material entities it. Be- yond question, this water system can be constructed more efficiently comprehen- sively and economically with the territory controlled by one county of established wealth and credit than 1t could be if the burdens of the system had to be adjusted and distributed between two counties.
 The people of Jefferson county have natural and legitimate pride in its mary elous growth and development and earn estly protest against it's dsintegration and dismemberment. The creation of the proposed new county can only be urged for the valuable political offices it will create and the supposed commercial ad- vantage to the town of Bessemer.
 
 Accessibility of Court House.
 In no county of the state can the in- habitants of all parts of the county reach the county seat with the same celerity and facility as the inhabitants of Jeffer- son county can reach Birmingham. A large number of trunk lines of railroad extend from Birmingham to and beyond the uttermost confines of the county in every direction. Thousands of in habitants of the county, outside of Bir- can reach the court house at Birmingham quickly and cheaply by means of the splendid street car system centering in Birmingham, and a great system of public highways extends and is being constructed from Birmingham to every part of the county.
 Bessemer is but suburb of Birming- ham connected with Birmingham by two street car lines and 8 number of rail-
 
 is not needed for the southern end of this county is demonstrated by the ef- fort to make Bessemer such a county seat. So far from the creation of the proposed new county adding to the convenience of the inhabitants of the lower end of the the Commercial club confidently asserts that a large number of the in- habitants of the lower end of the county will have to come to Birmingham and go through Birmingham to Bessemer in order to reach the county seat if the pro- posed new county is created.
 Injurious to Business of Birmingham.
 Organized to aid and promote the con- mercial welfare of Birmingham the Com mercial club vigorously protests against the effort to adopt the proposed amend ment to the constitution as a means of creating a new county with Bessemer as it's county seat. Birmingham desires the of Bessemer, but protests that Bessemer should not seek to grow at expense. For nearly 100 years the inhabitants of all parts of Jeff ferson county have been in the habit of to Birmingham, or Eyton, now a part of greater Birmingham, to serve on juries attend courts as witnesses transact business with the tax assessor tax collector, and on innumerable errands which bring citizens to the county seat Having to go to Birmingham on these missions. Birmingham has become the political and commercial center of the county. and the inhabitants of the south ern end of the county who have come to Birmingham on business at the court house have been in the habit of doing their trading in Birmingham. Birming-