The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-26

second, to the advantages of giving work to a great number of unemployed
 To this end your honorable body Is | requested to revive and re-enact the ordi- nance heretofore passed which called for an election to vote on sewer bonds Sep timber Is, 1907. You are especially warned that If the bond issue carries and $400,0O0 is set aside for the purpose of supple 1 menting legal assessments, that it will be unwise and dangerous not to place such rigid restrictions around this bond fund beforehand that neither political in- t1uenees nor pathetic appeals can obtain a larger share of it than the plans in the engineers office shows it to be en- titled
 Underground Wiring.
 Your attention is called to previous recomm endations that arrangements should be made to have all wires go underground, except the trolleys. They can be attended to later on.
 It is herewith recommended that your engineer get data on which an ordinance can be based that will require cer- tain number of blocks to go underground each year. While being fair to the com panies the city should insist on a suffi l cient number of blocks going under every year to soon relieve the people of this ] nuisance and menace. ! It is also recommended that the telc i phone companies be required to remove their poles and overhead wires at once, i wherever they have conauits. The South i ern Bell Telephone company now has l miles of eonduits built with the under i standing that poles and overhead wires would come down on their completion. Recognizing the fact that this company i has no franchise in this city your en- gineer has handled affairs in connection with it in such way that such poles as , have been set during recent years can be removed at once if so ordered.
 The Postal Telegraph company now has all it's wires underground and the Vest ern Union is under contract to have all it's poles down by July next.
 Viaducts and Grade Crossings. The danger from grade crossings is becoming more acute every year and is one of the serious problems now con- i fronting the municipal government
 Many conferences have been held be- | tween the city and railroad authorities for the past two years without satisfactory results
 Realizing this situation the City l Council delegated representatives to go l to Montgomery at the last session of the | legislature for the purpose of having grade crossing bill passed. They were successful in having enacted a mea sure which gives cities authority to force the building of viaducts wherever needed, subject. however, to certain restrictions in regard to prop erty rights and damages. l l herewith recommend that your city !, engineer be instructed to make inves- tigations throughout the United States where problems similar to those in the i city of Birmingham have been solved | and that he be called on for recon- mendations and plans. If same are approved the council should go for | ward and force the work through. As | eta nd in s1alaw ic all the railroads ask for and is what you will have to contend with"
 While you are now approprlatiug ar. you possibly can to the schools, no one can claim that the s45,000 furnished is in just proportion to the $1O70O0 go- ing to the fire department or the $76,- 900 to the police department.
 It is to be regretted that financial 1 compliea tions makes it necessary to | defer building the proposed cremator> | until a later date. While the original cost of a crematory could be handled through a bond issue, the maintenance of same and long hauls involved would make it practically prohibitive at present.
 The Past Year. l Nineteen hundred and seven will stand forth for many years to come as 1 the most notable in the history of your city government for disturbing ele ments and changing conditions.
 It was assailed from within and from without. During the months of Octo- 1 Der and November the Legislative branch of municipal machinery came to a full stop.
 A brief resume by dates of happen ings bearing on the city's affairs is herewith submitted as a convenient record, without further comment.
 As in the year 1906, the efforts of the administra ton to regulate saloons con tinued during the year.
 January 3.-Double license imposed l on saloons operating colored and white department. This was followed by the steady closing by the Mayor of sa- | looms which violated the law and the revocation of their licenses by the ! council.
 March Gold Police Commission abolished by the legislature. Owing to | split session this bill did not take eff feet until September.
 March 17.-Fire limits enlarged. See ordinance No. 6S.
 May 1S.-Formidable strike of street | car employees.
 May 19.=All saloons ordered closed
 May 22.-Street car company ordered l to run cars.
 May SO.-Saloons allowed to open s usual
 July 6-Mild typhoid outbreak on l SouthSide.
 August 3.-City left in charge of aldermen. Mayor leaves on vacation. August S.-Greater Birmingham bill | signed by governor. l August 13.-Municipal code bill | signed by governor. 1 August 22.-"Mayor and Aldermen ! overthrown, municipal code put into effect 1 and City Council" takes charge of city. | September 10-Prohibition election or 1 dered by Probate Judge. l September 26-Mayor returns to city. 1 September 27-New Police Commission ! assumes charge of the department. | October 2-Mayor presides at council | and Mayor and Aldermen" by ordinance | reassumes charge of the city. | October 3-Chief Wier suspended by old | Police Com mission. October 2S-Prohibition carries in Jeffer- | son county, effective January l, 190S | October 31-Election for Greater Bir- l mingham ordered for January 6. '