The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-08
WATER PROBLEM IS
. STILL THE TOPIC OF
ABSORBING INTEREST
Far Sighted Citizens Are
ThraShing Out the Various
Plans Suggested
VAN H0OSE SAYS COUNTY
SHOULD BEAR ITS PART
Other Citizens Say Birmingham Has
Ample Authority to Go Ahead
With Work on Its Own
Initiative.

That the crisis is approaching when &C.
ton long delayed will have to be taken
quickly is now the opinion of even those
who have been putting blocks in the way
of all effort toward a bigger and better
water supply for the industries of Bir-
mingham.
Far-sighted citizens eight or ten years
ago saw the brick wan into which Bir-
mingham would run some day, and while
everything that could possibly be said
in discussion of the water supply was
| said more than five years ago, the city
has finally come to realize that it has
reached the high-water mark of industrial
development, and that it cannot go any
further without action.
When J. A. Van Hoose was approached
for an interview he said: Il am glad that
business men are becoming alive to the
serious conditions, and | hope to see dirt
flying before many months. However IL
you will look in your paper of January l,
1903 you will find a speech of mine that
covers the ground just as well as I could
do it now"
Mr. Van Hoose then and still believes
that the county should bear its part, and
Birmingham and also Ensley should
bear their part. ut will take a commits
sion to find the most feasible plan, and
then to go about it with the assistance
of all the surrounding municipalities" he
said.
-Four years ago mass meeting APP
pointed a committee, of which l was
- -
in our report advocated commission to
be authorized by the Legislature. So far
as I know the legislature has never been
persuaded to pass the bills which have
been drawn and presented.
1.-THE commission is the first thing.
There is little use of talking about
schemes and the like until you have a
body to act. People have been talking
| for years. Four years ago the people of
| this district passed over the same ground
we are treading now. The water problem
should be the issue in every election, and
| we should send no one to the Legislature
who will block the best laid plans
Alderman Walter Moore said last night
that the city of Birmingham has all the
| authority it needs TO go ahead, and it is
probable that the city will get busy in a
short time The point is about proven
conclusively that the county alone has
not the right to issue sufficient bonds to
build the plant, but with the assistance
of the corporations in making security
and the cities of Birmingham and Ems
ley, 1t is thought that something definite
can be done Immediately
II the Commercial Club gets busy at its
meeting on November 20 the cobwebs OF
years may be brushed away and the
many Ideal propositions begin shining in
their former luster Some suggest that
now the republicans are making such a
big effort to capture the south the gov
eminent might be persuaded to carry out
its intention of flushing the Warrior
river with water from the Tennessee
and this would back up Village creek with
supply many times larger than it now
furnishes.
Some prefer the plan of Mr.. Friel to
dam the Sipsey river, use the overflow
to produce electricity with which to pump
the water into a reservoir many feet
higher than Birmingham, the water then
to be carried at big pressure, direct to
the district. Others consider the supply
Of the present company sufficient for