The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-10
Special Meeting Called for This Afternoon to Thrash
 Out the Issue
SPEAKERS YESTERDAY
 OPPOSED THE DIVISION
w. H. kettig Claims Birmingham Should Not Stand By and See the County Split In Two With
 out a Fight.


 The opposition to the new county amendment came up at the meeting of the Commercial club yesterday afternoon in positive form. Speeches were made against the passage of the amendment, and the sentiment appeared to be in favor of fighting it to a finish. The club at least believes it should consider the ques- tion.
 However, as there were only a few peo- pie in attendance, the meeting adjourned, to hold a special session this afternoon at o'clock in the clubrooms for the purpose of taking some definite action on the mat ter. At this time resolution will be of fered, and those who are opposed to let ting Bessemer have half of Jefferson county will appear to defend their posi- tion. A big crowd of Bessemer people is expected to be on hand
 At the meeting yesterday afternoon speeches were made by Walker Percy, Robert Jemison, Jr., w. w. Crawford, T. H. Motion and F. Y. Anderson, all in opposition to the new county amendment. However, after talking the matter over, it was decided to postpone the adoption of the resolutions until today. when representative meeting can be held
 Special Call Issued.
 Here is the call: Tn accordance with the instructions of the Commercial club, l hereby call a special meeting of the Commercial club to be held in the Com mercial club rooms Saturday afternoon, October 10, at o'clock Fred M. Jackson, Acting President"
 The sentiment of the meeting is we'll set forth in the following interview with w. II. Kettig, who is deeply interested in maintaining the present county lines:
 kettig Explains Objections.
 T am greatly pleased to learn that at the regular meeting of the Commercial club on yesterday afternoon a discussion was had of the proposed now county amendment to the constitution of the state, and the injurious effects that the adoption of this amendment would have upon the business interests of the people of Birmingham and of the entire county; and that the sentiment of the members of the club in attendance upon this meeting was apparently strongly opposed to the proposed new county amendment; and that a resolution calling a special meet ing of the members of the club to eonsid- CT the policy to be adopted by the club to- ward this question was called for Satur- day at o'clock. As l understand in view of the importance of this question to the business welfare of the town of Bir- mingham and of the county of Jefferson, the special meeting was called for it's con- sideration in order that a full attendance of the members of the club might be had.
 ''I moved to Birmingham when hardly grown; my entire business life has been spent here; and what I have accumulated is invested in Birmingham property I have been deeply interested in the mar vicious growth of Birmingham, the in- creasing public spirit of it's citizens. and in the splendid commercial and industrial development of our county. The import ance of the proposed amendment, from a purely business standpoint, should secure the attendance of every member of the Commercial club of Birmingham at it's
 
 Inspired In Bessemer.
 At the general election in November the voters of the state will have an op- portunity of voting for or against the amendment proposed to the constitution of the state, the effect of which. if adopted, will be to give the citizens of any locality desiring to carve a new county out of existing counties, the right to vote in favor of the creation of a new county without reference to the wishes of the other citizens of the existing counties from which the new county is to be carved This proposed amendment Is known as the 'Ragsdale amendment Jt had it's inspiration in the town of Bes- semer. from which 1t is receiving it's chief support. If the amendment is adopted at the general election. those interested in the movement at Bessemer will pro- ceed with preparations for an election to organize a new county with Bessemer as its county seat. The people of Bir- mingham and all that portion of Jefferson county not to be embraced within the pro- posed new county would have no oppor- tunty of voting on whether or not the new county should be formed largely at the expense of Jefferson county. As the promoters of the new county scheme con- template that Bessemer should be the county seat, of necessity the new eoun- ty will derive its territory, wealth and population very largely from Jefferson county In order that Bessemer, the pro- posed county. seat, may not be imme- dately at the extreme northern end of the county. it is reasonable to assume that the advocates of the proposed new county would cut off that portion of Jef- ferson county lying south of a line drawn east and west across Jefferson county about half way between Bessemer and Birmingham, so that the northern boun- diary of the proposed new county would extend almost to the limits of Greater Birmingham.
 Calamity to Birmingham.
 This division of the county, 1t seems to me- would be calamity to Birmingham and to the people of the entire county; nor does there seem to me to be any good reason to justify this dismemberment of our county. Birmingham is today one of the great railroad centers of the south. Trunk line railroads extend from Bir- mngham, north, east, south and west, like the spokes of a wagon wheel A splendid street car service gives rapid transit to Birmingham for thousands of the inhabitants of the county A great system of public highways has been ana is being constructed. so that all the peopl, of the county may reach Birmingham with convenience. Birmingham is the commercial center of the county as it Is of the state; and 1t is safe to say that there is no county in the state where so large a proportion of the inhabitants can reach the county courthouse with speed and convenience as in this county If the proposed new county Is created thou sands of men who have 6een in the habit