The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-21
TUNNEL OPPOSITION ST|RS ADVOCATES ID RENEWED V|GOR City May Be Asked to Assist on This Side of the
 Mountain M'GEEVER POINTS OUT IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT Thinks County Money Lying Idle in Bank Should Be Used for Public
 Improvements of This
 Character.

The matter of the construction of tun- nel through Red mountain has become live wire. Opposition to the project has stirred up the general interest, citizens having taken a hand and are now pushing the matter. A delegation of some 40 or 50 citizens appeared before the Board of Rev erue last week to impress upon the body the need of the tunnel, and after an open discussion of the project it was apparent that there were members on the board who opposed the idea of building the tun- nel. Accordingly, a committee of three was appointed to meet committee from the city council, the two committees to consolidate and meet the board again this afternoon
 The committee of citizens, consisting or c. O. Simpson, chairman, G. T. Brazelton and w. M. Davies met President Parker and Aldermen O'Nelll, Gregg and Cooper of the City Council yesterday afternoon to discuss the matter The question under discussion was how the city and county might get together and build the tunnel jointly. One suggestion was that the hoard begin the construction of the tunnel on the Shades valley side of Red moun- tain and build to the city limits of Bir- n.ingham, and there let the city take up the proJect. The joint committee Will meet the Board of Revenue this afternoon.
 Hugh McGeever, 6 member of the foard of Revenue, favors the construction of the tunnel. He states that he sees no reason why the board should hesitate Ill | that after all expenses of the county have been paid there will be on hand So,OO0 surplus in the general fund, with the Co., tober taxes coming in besides. MT. Me Geever roasons the matter cut in the fol- lowing manner:
 Cost of the Tunnel.
 "The digging of the tunnel through Red mountain, it seems, will take more money than the board anticipated. l do not think shat should or will stop the board from starting the tunnel at once, as l will show further on that the tunnel will pay for itself in increased taxation in a few years. If we were ready to start the tunnel now | it will take some time to finish It, and this years taxes will be due and payable be- fore the surplus that is now in the gen eral :.rd has been exhausted, but thinE the pres. Tt surplus will be suffic ent to build the county's part of the tunnel. Once started it will be finished. We have never failed or fallen down on any enterprise we have ever started. This board can point with pardonable pride to it's record in meeting emergencies and handling them with dispatch and ability, as has been shown when on short notice We had to get court room for three addl tional judges created by the last legisia- tGre-two city and one circuit Also two court rooms for inferior court judges for Precincts 2l and 37, besides additional jury rooms for jurors for the first mentioned courts.
 Then, again. last January, when the ex- cessive rains had the county roads in bad shape, and fortunately the legislature gave us an opportunity to fix them by all get transferring the surplus money in the general fund to the road fund, the men- rers of this board showed that they wers rot laggards old fogies We took up the work at once and in few months be- tween March and July, or by the 1st oe September at the latest, we will have ev- cry mile of macadam road in the county overnaued, recherted, rolled and in a No condition, besides having built and macadamized 20 miles of new macadam ! work. All our macadam work will be up l to the top notch by September l. when We will divide the 300 miles into about % sections, giving each section an average Of 1o miles, and placing a good white work | man with mule and dump cart to keep up his section; the chert and slag or other materials necessary to be used to be placed at convenient distances along the roads for him; he to keep all holes filled as 500 us they appear and his ditches open all the time. This system will insure good macadaln roads all the time.
 Will Have Good Surplus.
 "Our dirt roads are being worked as fast as ten good overseers and crews can get over them and the overseers all say they will be finished by September l. when we will put them on new mac adam work in different parts of the county.
 After all this is done, we will have between s6O,O0O and $75OOO surplus in the general fund, and feel assured that the board will feel that they are carrying out the wishes of the taxpayers by cutting a tunnel through Red mountain, thereby opening up territory two and a half miles from the courthouse that is prac- tcally inaccessible now on account of steep grades, and which has now an as- sessed value of from $5 to $10 per acre. When the tunnel goes through $100 per acre will be very low assessment for it; which will prove clearly that the tun~ nel will pay for itself in a short time by the increased taxes on the land tl,at