The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-06-02
Bush Writes of North Birming-
hams Presumption
OPPOSES HASTY ACTION
He Thinks 1t Preposterous That PIT
Voters Should Fasten 100000
Debt on Greater Birmine-
hams 10000 People.

Slst ult., With reference to the proposed
sale of bonds by North Birmingham, for
the purpose of constructing water works
and electric light plant. was not intended
to provoke newspaper controversy. The
statements made clearly Indicate the pur-
pose of my writing that communication.
The question as to Birminghams future
needs for water and light was not under
consideration. No citizen, who is familiar
with our conditions and our aspirations TO
future development questions the facs
! that in the future-if not in the near fu-
ture-we will need a much larger supply
OF water for manufacturing purposes
which also could be used for domestic
purposes if SO desired. The question of
municipal ownership of public utilities
was not under discussion. The question is,
however much We may need the addi-
tional supply of water for various pur-
poses, what right has the municipality of
North Birmingham, or Mr. Friel and his
associates, to undertake to prepare plans,
! have them executed and pay for same,
and impose upon Greater Birmingham a
debt of $5,0OO,00O? What evidence has Mr..
L riel, or the municipality of North Bir-
] mlngham that either has been selected to
accomplish this work? If every citizen in
the proposed Greater Birmingham desires
! tins water plant constructed there is no
i evidence that either of these parties has
i been selected for that purpose So far as
/ the estimate of cost and the time in which
ii will be required to do the work being
| correct, it is matter of no great i'm
portance at this time, but if Mr.. Friel is
/ able to make estimates involving an out
! lay of millions of dollars and is able to
anticipate conditions which may arise as
to cost of material, labor, ETC., his ex-
perlence is different, probably. from any
one elses IN this community who has UNI
certaken work of much magnitude, or
even undertaken to build a house.
Mr. Friel gives as an illustration the re-
! cent notice that the Alabama Consolidated
Coal and Iron company has authorized
an issue of 100000 etc., and seems to
speak dlsparagingly of this company, ap-
parently because he attributes to me the
responsibility of its creation and deveIon.
/ ment. L have had no official conneotio,
with this company since the LIST of Jan
uary, 1sVf' neither am | a stakeholder at
i TINS Time. But | do not know that this
company needs to make any apolos;es
lor Its existence or the manner in which
It's business was conducted. so far as my
knowledge of its affairs is concerned. The
statement that this company possesses
three or four old furnaces" is unneces-
sary and uncalled for, and not in keep,ng
| with facts. The furnaces which this con,.
pahy constructed-more particularly those
at uaosueh-are equal to any furnaces in
'nls olstrlct So far as the bond issue is
concerned, my information is that au
thorlty was given by the stockholders to
issue bonds to a total of IS, 900 000-which
understand is partly for the purpose of
capitallzlng surplus funds used for i'm
proNehlehts. But that has nothing to do
with this question, except this-that when
| this company authorized the issne Of
ponos 1t did not do so except by author
~ OIL all stockholders, or a majority Of
same MI. friel refers to every citizen
OIL birmingham being stakeholder in this
proposed new water works system. and
YET II that is the case, he assumes that a
small neutrality-suspicious. not more
IMAM one-twentieth of the Stockholders
proposes to spend the stockholders money
without their consent or approval-and
assumes to do this work for them in his
own way.
The intimation of Mr.. Friel that am
arguing Tor the protection of the water
works now installed here and the light
company is gratuitous and unworthy of
notice.
These companies, l assume, are capable
OF managing their own business. But the
TACT that they are here and are competi-
| tors is a fact that is to be recognized
when we are talking about revenue from
a new system for water or for light.
Mr. Friel says that a taxpayer will never
Know the difference between an issue of
SJO,OO0,W0 and $5,OO0,O00 as 1t will cost him
nothing. 1t is hardly necessary to COM
| ment upon such a statement as this ex
cept it is an indication of the apparent
recklessness with which some people
be inclined to spend other peoples money.
| Under the circumstances Birmingham
could not, with propriety, undertake a.
project of this kind until the other mu-
| er Birmingham shall have an opportunity
of voicing their sentiments. But as the
citizens of the present Birmingham constl
tue a majority of Greater Birmingham.
surely this city could, with much more
propriety, consider and undertake work
OF this kind without consulting other in
terested parties.
! | fail to notice in Mr.. Friels commune
cation any evidence that North Birming-
ham has been authorized directly or in
come their trustee in an important and
vital matter of this kind.
We are not in such emergency for
water as to require hasty and ill-advised
action at this time, and / assume that
North Birmingham is under less stress in
regard to water than other sections of the
| district inasmuch as it has first call on
the supply from Village creek before It
| reaches Thomas or Ensley.
Mr.. Friel states that nothing that can
even slow up the matter. l am only
| speaking for myself, as a citizen, and |
assume by that that he defies any or all
citizens who may oppose him in this mat
ter. It may be that he sees his way
| clear to carry out this scheme independ-
ent of the views or interests of others.
| If So unfortunate has been the action
creating Greater Birmingham. In my
| iudvn,ent II would have been far better