The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-03-04
OFFICIALS TO INSPECT
CITY JAIL IN ALLAN IA
Resolution Is Passed Granting Inter
state Commerce Commission Use
of Council Assembly Hall, Be-
ginning March 10.

| the mayor were Aldermen cooper, COL
Inns and Estes.
This matter, which has proved a live
wire for the past several days, was
brought before the council last night by
the reading of the mayors veto. Presi-
dent of the Council Jones, before the
| sustaining of the veto was put to a
| vote, explained that the former method
! of awarding the contract to the three
daily papers in terms of eight months
each had not been adhered to- that the
records would show that In time gone,
one paper had it for seven, one for
r. and one for nine months He then
stated that Mayor Ward had no legal
| right to veto the ordinance on the ground
that it was a temporary and not per-
manent ordinance, and to substantiate
| his statement read a section of the code
| bearing on the matter. He then asked
| City Attorney r. II. Thach If in his
opinion the mayor had legal right to
veto a temporary ordinance. Mr.. Thach
answered in the negative.
Burnett Makes Statement.
After the statement of Mr.. Jones AL
derman Burnett, chairman of the mis-
| cellaneous committee asked the privil-
| eye of explaining his action, which action,
he stated, had been unjustly criticized.
THE. committee, in its regular meet
ing" said he, discussed the matter of
awarding the contract for the city print
ing. 1t was there brought up that the
present method, inasmuch as The Age
Herald was never given an opportunity
to share in the heaviest printing, that
of December and January, was unfair. 1t
was mentioned that the one year term
| should be introduced, as this is fair to
all. But there was objection, and the
committee finally decided to award the
printing contract for period of eight
months. Before the meeting of the coun-
| Gil, however, l saw every member of
the committee and every member agreed
to awarda the contract for a period OF
one year. l saw every man and checked
his name off the card bearing the
roll of aldermen"
After the explanation of Mr.. Burnett
Alderman Estes took the floor, stating
that he did not object to the term OF
the contract, but to the manner in which
the contract was passed. He reviewed
practically the statement of Mr.. Burnett
as to the action of the committee and
| the action of it's chairman after the
committee had adjourned. He expressed
his disapproval of the fact that the al
| dermen. not members of the miscellaneous
committee, had not been notified of the
! change.
At this juncture Alderman Hogan, who
| is a member of the miscellaneous COM
mittee, stated that he was not aware
that Mr.. Burnett had talked to him con-
corning the change of the time of the
| l,
Burnett did so because Mr.. Burnett had
| so stated.
The vote was then taken on whether
| or not the mayors veto should be sus-
| tanned, the aldermen not taking into
consideration the opinion of the city at
torney that the mayor had no right to
veto a temporary ordinance. AS stated,
the veto was overruled by vote of 10
to 3.
After the close of the argument, AL
derman Estes moved to reconsider the
action which had been taken in awarding
the contract to The Age-Herald for a
| year. 1t was the intention of Mr..
Estes to award the contract from Feb
| ruary 10 to January l, next year. and
to award it thereafter in terms on one
| year by system of competitive bid
! ding. Alderman Moore, however, Of
fered motion tabling this resolution,
which was seconded by Alderman
l Heidi, and which carried overwhelm-
ingly, Alderman Estes and Alderman
Hogan alone voting to the contrary.
This action is considered the finale
of the controversy as to the awarding
of the city's printing this year.
standpipe viii Now Be Built.
The Mayors veto of the "standppe"
ordinance was sustained unanimously.
After this action, the $55 charge for
each water plug was changed to $40,
and the ordinance again introduced
and passed by unanimous consent. The
Birmingham Water Works company
will now proceed with the erection of
1.-THE standpipe on Red mountain, and
will charge the people desiring this
! high pressure a meter rate instead of
the fiat rate unless the city wins its
case pending in the courts against the
company, in which case the fiat rate
| will be restored to all.
Two other matters concerning water
and water supply were acted upon by
| the council. The first was resolution
| of the water committee that $1,000 be
| expended by the city of Birmingham in
| investigating methods to gain for the
city an abundant and cheap water sup
ply. This resolution was referred to
the finance committee. The second was
resolution offered by Alderman COL
Inns to the effect that 1t was the con-
census of opinion that Birmingham
should not give to any, other munich
pality a franchise to supply the city
! with water, and auth ortzing the en-
| ployment of a skilled engineer to in
vestigate the matter thoroughly, and
auth orizing the taking of the proper
| steps toward acquiring the knowledge
of how Birmingham should proceed in
a course of becoming possessed of it's
own franchise and a plant to be oper-
ated by itself for the purpose of sup
plying water to the citizens and COR
! porations. This was also referred to
the proper committee.
May Result In New Jail.
A matter of Importance, which will
probably result in Birmingham pos
sessing new jail and stable buildings,
was brought up by Alderman Gregg,
who offered the following resolution:
| BE it resolved by the City Council
of Birmingham as follows:
Section l. That leave of absence for
not longer than three days be granted
the building Inspector and the street
commissioner to visit Atlanta, Ca, for
the purpose OF inspecting the concrete
sprison, stable and other buildings re-