The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-04
LINDSAY STATES CASE OF
 THOSE WAN TING TO ENTER
Gibson Makes Hottest Speech of Even ing and Resents Any Imputation of Graft or Violation of
 the Law.


 diate annexation proved somewhat stormy. While the primary object of this meeting was to gather together the men who fa- vored annexation, the majority of those present were opponents to this project. and the debates which naturally occurred waXed warm at times. Indeed the 'antis'' were so powerful that they elected their own men as officers of the meeting, and fl closed by indorsing the administration. called next week and this time only those who favor annexation will be present.
 w. M. Lindsay called the meeting to order at the appointed hour and stated that the object of the meeting was to consider the question of immediate an- nexation to Birmingham and to find a way to get the Woodlawn Board of AL dermen to call a special election for VOL ing on the question. He said that the council had shown that they were not in favor of coming into Birmingham by not calling such an election of their own ac- cord. He further stated that as his belief, the majority of the voters out there wanted to vote on this subject and that they should be given a chance to do so.
 Election of Officers.
 The next thing that came up was the election of the officers of the meeting Charles E. Burriss was elected permanent chairman and Prof. S. A. Ellis permanent secretary. The election of Burris an anti annexationist, showed the administration crowd to be In control of the meeting
 w. M. Lindsay was the first man to answer the call for speakers. In a force ful address he told the assembled voters of the advantages that would come to them if they came into Birmingham. He first called their attention to the fact that If this came about all of the street and other improvements would be super vised by one head and that it would be under one department, thereby doing away with a great many different salaries that they were now paying for this work He further stated that their schools would come under the supervision of one man and they would then have uniform school control and their old system, which was haphazard, would be abolished. He con- tnued and told of the advantages that would come to them by having their children in a public school that was under the direct supervision of a man who he said was one of the most able educators in the entire south. Dr. J. H. Phillips, the present superintendent of schools III Birmingham. He also said that consider ing the matter from a financial stand point they would save the s400O that they A laying unnecessary salaries
 Charles E. Burris then arose and re- piled to Lindsays speech in a warm re- buttal that attempted to refute the for mer speakers statements, and at the same time to bring up other subjects ! that would show the annexationists to be in the wrong. He claimed that Wood- lawn was making the street improvements at a cost to the individual citizens of 40 per cent less than Birminghams figures. He went on to give examples in proof of what he said, stating that they put down chert streets for the sum of 65 cents a square yard in contrast to the Birmingham cost, which was $l.25. Fur thermore, he said that the Wodlawn price for cement sidewalks was S71h cents per yard as opposed to Birmingham price of I 96 cents. He closed by appealing to the I citizens to use their judgment in select | ing the price that they wished to pay. | Lindsay then arose and mentioned the l fact that these things might be true, but 1 it must be remembered that Birming- ! hams bonds brought great deal more 1 than did those sold by Woodawn, and he | said that this fact alone would more than I compensate for the difference in prices for street improvements.
 At this point several others spoke either | pro or con to the issue and asked the | previous speakers several questions | Among those were Mayor Perryman and | E. Brewer, against annexation, and T l c. Buckshaw, who was in favor of it. l Gibson Makes Hot Speech.
 At this juncture the most cutting speech of the night occurred. J. B. Gibson arose and addressed the meeting, abandoning l entirely the point at issue and answering the so-called graft charges that were mad, several days ago by Lindsay. He said tha | such charges were unjust, uncalled fol | and groundless and he then made a lons ] adrdess i'll which he hurled invective. against those men who were charging tn. city council with breaking the law. In | deed, at one time his talk became so hot 1 that one of the men at the meeting asked the chairman to call him to order, whicf the chairman declined to do.
 Lindsay then said that he had made | TO charges of graft, but that he had ac I cused the councilmen of breaking the law for they had given contracts to eacl | other, which was a direct violation of tn: | statutes, and that he could and would prove every word that he said.
 After few more talks, which were or the subject of annexation, the meetina adjourned, after indorsng the work o1 the present administration, which is op 1 posed to the idea of immediate annexa ton.
 Lindsay Makes Statement.
 w. M. Lindsay, when seen after tn, meeting, expressed himself as not being discouraged by the way the mass meet ing of last night closed He said:
 T am not at all discouraged by the
 meeting last night, because both side