The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-09


 Mayors office to formulate means tC meet q deficit of $113,000, and we agreed that a street tax was neces- sary. We took up the privilege tax and squeezed s60,O0O extra out of thu merchants. None of us wanted it, but realized that we would have to go back to the street tax. I was in favor of it until the Mayor showed that he could borrow the money and fnayce the deal through" He read a state- ment signed by 12 aldermen declaring that the measure was only an emer- gency one; that the situation had been cleared; that the street tax was a dead issue and would never come up again.
 Bodeker Next Speaker.
 George Bodeker, for chief of police was the next speaker. He opened by paying nigh compliment to the char acter of w. E. Wier.
 Not for the office would I say any with him for nine veal and founn him always an honorable A ntleman."
 Taking up the matter of h.s accepting Wier's place he said if he hadn't taken 1t somebody else would; that he would have been cutting off his nose to spite his face. "The question is, who has given the best service? When I took charge I found that we needed better residence service. Today we have 12 bicycle men at this work. Today there is less gam bling than there ever was. Of course, 1t is not all stopped. Of course, some whisky is sold, and always will be, but whenever you can point to F gambling houses I will give up my badge and quit.
 NOW I want to say that I am on no ticket MT. Copeland, MT. Parker MT. Seals and MT. Yielding are all my friends. l am running for the office alone, and when I am elected I do not propose to be led around by the nose, either by the Mayor or the commissioners
 Weir Called To Stand.
 w E. Wier was then called to the stand, He began by saying that he se- cured a job on the force 20 years ago as country boy, was promoted to cap tain without solicitation, and that as chief or captain he had never detailed a man to danger that he did not go by his side.
 "During all my service I was never fired until the memorable night last De- CemDer WneH was u1Scnarged for the unpardonable sin of insubordination, for following law passed by the legislature and acting on the advice of the city at torney."
 He then read the correspondence with City Attorney Smith; declared that fol- lowing this advice he and the force had been sworn in with the new commission "Bodeker took the oath himself as well as |; and he was promoted for his sin
 
 After declaring that as the nominee of the party he was cut down before serv- ing hardly any of his term, and asking the voters to let him serve out a full i term. he answered Bodekers residence patrol argument with the fact that in l his term there 115 saloons. with their disorderly crowds which required close and dangerous work to keep them in 1! order.
 with no saloons he can easily afford 1 to take off the men and move them out | to the residence districts.
 i "lf elected I can promise that there will be fewer blind tigers than there are l now. I want to tell you that those who are known or suspected of running blind l tigers, the disreputable people and law 1 breakers are fighting me tooth and toe nail. If you don't believe Mt go down and see. You will find them ali for Bodeker. I am after the good, honorable vote