The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
PAVING MUDDLE
 SETTLED AT LAST Meridian Streets Will Receive
 Attention At Once MATERIAL TO BE CHOSEN People Along the Streets Will Be AL lowed to Decide Which of Three
 Kinds of Paving Material
 Shall Be-Used.
MATERIAL TO BE CHOSEN

Meridian, April .-(SpeciaD-Last night at a caucus of the municipal boards an agreement was reached on the resident street paving proposition which has hung fire between the two boards for the past year and a half. The cause of all the trouble was as to the material to be used in the paving work, and the in- disposition of the board of council to award contracts for vitrified brick and asphalt paving, which the board of coun- eil wanted to do. In fact, both boards let the contract for these two kinds of material by resolution.
 terrific howl went up from many citizens along the streets to be paved and when the matter came up before the boards in the proper form the board of council. or at least a majority, turned turtle. refusing to ratify their action by resolution. The contractors, on alleged legal advice, went to work on their con- tract which had been made so far as they were concerned in good faith.
 The Southern Paving and Construction company of Chattanooga had the con- tract for the brick work and the Bar Der Asphalt company had the contract for the remainder of the paving. The brick people transported material to Me- ridian and went to paving. The asphalt people also brought material to Meridian but never did any actual paving or grad ing. The matter was in bad muddle. The boards not being able to reach any kind of an agreement 1t was finally de- cided to leave the dispute as to the 1e- gality of the contracts by resolution to a commission of attorneys composed of c. H. Alexander of Jackson and Judge Jeff Truly of Natchez.
 The commission decided that the con- tract was illegal. The meeting last night was the first that the boards have had since the decision was rendered and the entire city is pleased to know that the chances are good for the speedy begin ming of work on the long delayed im- provement in the resident streets At the caucus it was decided that three ma terials should be used, namely, vitrified brick, wood block and macadan.
 Petitions will be placed on file at the city clerks office and complaining cit izens will be given chance to record their complaints and if a majority vot6s against the material allotted to the street he or she resides on the boards will give them the kind of material they prefer. If there is no great objection the boards will at once advertise for bids and award the contracts, which call for s25O,000 worth of paving.
 Officer After Man.
 Special Officer Ludie Snonette ~Cf the Meridian police department left for St. Louis today, where he goes after Joseph Klein, holiness preacher, arrested in that city on complaint of the Meridian police on a charge of robbery. It will be remembered that several weeks ago Klein jumped his boarding house in this city after breaking open a trunk of one of the other boarders and helped him self to such of the contents as he want ed, which was a suit of clothes, a watch. and considerable cash. He afterward wrote a letter to the proprietor of the boarding house confessing to the theft and admitting that his profession of re- ligion was a fake. Upon receipt of the mans confession the matter was put in the hands of the police and they have been quite active in running him down.
 Officer Monette left armed with requisi- ton papers and there will be no trouble In bringing the man back to answer before the courts of this county. Klein is a reformed Jew and during his stay in this city he is said to have been 8 most earnest religious worker among certain classes and the report of his crookedness created no little of a sen sation at the time. His trial will be full of interest to a large number of citizens that is, if he has a trial It may be that he will enter plea of guilty as his confession is in the hands of the officers.