The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-15
What Inducement Does Bir- mingham Offer WOodIawn for
 Immediate Annexation2
W00DLAWN NOW TAKING
 GOOD CARE OF HERSELF
Is Spending $1s5,eoo on Improvements and City Revenues Are Amply Suf- ficient to Meet Interest On
 the Indebtedness.

Mayor George B. Ward received a letter yesterday from Mayor w. E. Perryman of Woodlawn in reply to the recent letter sent the Woodlawn mayor, among several others, regarding the immediate annexa- tion of the suburb to Birmingham proper. Mayor Perrymans s letter is somewhat tart, but he gives interesting information and hands out his position in the matter straight from the shoulder.
 The communication sent out from the Birmingham mayors office several days ago asked permission of the various sub urban mayors to have a committee from the Birmingham city council look into the financial condition of the suburbs sought to be annexed. To this Mayor Perryman replies to Mayor Ward that it is apparent that the matter Is seen entirely from selfish standpoint. He further asks what inducement Birmingham has to offer to Woodlawn for immediate annexation in- stead of waiting until October, 1909, when the Greater Birmingham will become ef fective.
 Mayor Perryman states in his letter that the people of Woodlawn are very anxious for municipal improvements and gives ac- count of $135000 worth of Improvements either under way or projected. He says the municipality is not making these im- provements in order to saddle debt on Greater Birmingham, but for the reason that they are needed to promote the health and comfort of it's citizens. 'The revenues he adds, "are sufficient to take care of the interest on the bonds"
 Mayor Perryman's letter follows:
 Woodlawn Station,
 Birmingham, Ala, May A. 1908. Hon. George B. Ward, Mayor, Birming-
 ham, Ala.
 Dear sir: Your favor of the 11th instant, advising me that the council committee has under consideration a resolution ex- pressing a willingness to annex Woodlawn and asking permission to look into our financial condition, received and contents noted.
 I presume this resolution contemplates the immediate annexation of Woodawn. We have already voted to consolidate with Birmingham and several of the suburban cities on October l, 1909, and 1 was under the impression that this matter had been settled.
 Judging from your request, you seem to see this matter entirely from one-sided or selfish standpoint. l assure you that there are two sides to this question.
 Since Woodlawn has not requested this, I will ask you what inducement has Birmingham to offer for immediate annex ation?
 The only good reason offered Woodlawn for consolidation in October, 1909, was to give Birmingham the benefit of the gov ernment census in 1910, and under the present agreement she will have this.
 Woodlawn has at the present time un- der construction a sanitary sewerage sys- tenn which has cost to date about $70, GOO and street improvement work amounting to $20,000 We have just adopted plans for an addition to one of our school buildings which will cost to build and equip about S10,OO0, and have now under consideration plans for fire department, city hall and jail building, which will cost, including real estate and equipment, about $S5OOO.
 We expect the city hall and jail to be used as substation after the Greater Bir- mingham consolidation in 1909. l presume that the Greater Birmingham board will readily see the necessity for substatfions ir city covering 42 square miles of ter ritory.
 The people of Woodlawn are very anx- ious for municipal Improvements. Now, if this committee referred to can show me that Birmingham can and will do as much for Woodlawn as we are doing for ourselves, l shall be pleased to appoint committee from our city council to take up with your committee the matter of im- mediate annexation.
 I wish to say in conclusion that Wood lawn is not making these improvements in order to saddle debt on Greater Bir- mingham, but for the reason that they are needed to promote the health and com fort of its citizens, and that itst revenues are sufficient to take care of the interest on bonds issued for the purpose
 Yours very truly,
 " D. PERRYMAN Mayor