The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-03
BIRMINGHAM
BILL IS UP
Strong Lobby ALREADY
on Scene.
hot FIGHT IS EXPECTED
Ensley's Delegation Is Pulling
Against Bill.
DE. CunninGham Heads the Crowd
which In Opposed to Greater
Hirmingham--Jeiht commit-
tee Meeting Scheduled.


Jefferson County has come to town.
or at least a fair representation.
Through Legislative halls ana hotei
Hobbies they crowded last night. Two
er Birmingham.
The fate of the Greater Birmingham
ybill. SO far as the committees Of both
Senate and House are, concerned. Will
be decided today, when there VIII De
20 joint meeting of the .Municipai vt
ganization Committees OF both houses
to pass in judgment on the Dill.
The bill has been introduced In both
houses, by Jere King. Its, Original au-
thor, in the House. and by senator
oyerton, its champion of the upper
house In the Senate.
Eusley's delegation looms up strong
they are after the exclusion OF Ems
ley from the provisions of the bill, and
c1amor for local independence. Dr.
Governor, gubernatorial candidate, and
still a Probability as second-time
candidate. heads. the delegation.
IT am here to prevent rape, sir. legal
rape.'' he said last night. "To prevent
the annexation of Ensley beyond It's
wishes -
with DIR. Cunningham is Rev. ]. I.
Williams, to prevent the annexation OF
Ensley; Walker Percy, who objects 10
Thomas going into Greater Birming-
ham, r. H. Friel, Mayor of North Biz
mingham, who does not see the ad-
vantage for his municipality in being
included in the Greater Birmingham;
Felix Blackburn, who wants Elyton
kept out land City Attorney Black, Of
East Lake. who opposes the Greater
Birmingham move. SO far as his town
is concerned. Between them. the OPP
ponents cover the biggest part of the
territory sought to be included within
the provisions OF the Greater Birming-
ham bill.
on the other hand, the Greater Bir-
mingham adherents present strong
lobby. Harry Jones, President of the
Birmingham City Council, heads it
also he is opposed to the Commission
Government measure--and with him Is
T. H. Motion, Fred jackson, Ed Smith,
Frank Nelson, and to come today
James Bowron. r. w. Goodal, s.. j.
Bowie. ! and some more, probably a
score in all. When the forces measure
up today 1t Is likely that the Greater
birmingham party will possess pow
erful strength in both numbers and
influence.
THE scrap In both houses Will be
heated; both parties. pro and anti pre7
phesy a victory.
Impartial judges of the impending
conflict declare that the bill stands
. the greater prospect of victory in the
Senate, and II may be that the result
of the joint committee conference to-
day will be for the inauguration or the
course in the upper house.
The enemies of the bill point to the
Fact that DR.. Felix l. Tarrant was
elected Birmingham's representative
over Ramaine Boyd on a Greater Birn-
lngham issue, strictly; that Tarrant
opposed the move and that his oppo-
sition gained for him the seat in the
Iafn In fn a criterion
az the outcome of the legislative fight.
they prophesy that the Greater Birns
ingham measure will be beaten.
Ensley Man Boosting.
Former Mayor j. S. Scott of Ensley,
one of the best known men of the Bif-
mingham District, Is in Montgomery
to assist in the passage of the Greater
birmingham bill and to have Ensley
made a part of the big city. The for
mer Mayor gives strong reasons for
opposing certain interests which are
trying to have Ensley left out Of the
bill Speaking of the situation. he
said:
1t is a mistake to say that Ensley
Is lighting Greater Birmingham, as
there are two factions in Ensley one
of which favors and the other opposes
the consolidation. But III Ensley Is
scooped out of the Greater Birmingham
bill 1t will not only mutilate the bill.
put BIRMINGHAM Will SuIfiy AhAi citOIb
of the 1907 900 class of cities next year.
We will Thea occupy about the same
relative position with regard TO Allan
ia and Nashville that our base BAH
team does today. The Greater Birm-
ingham bill was fairly threshed out In
the Chamber of Commerce. which after
patiently hearing all sides. voted SOL
idly to treat all the suburbs exactly
alike.
North Birmingham and Pratt City
voted against Greater Birmingham. and
North Birmingham owns les own water
works and also its own light plant, and
Greater Birmingham will double its
present tax rate; while Ensley has to
20 to Birmingham for both its water
and lights and it's tax rate will not be
changed by the consolidation. The
tax rate of Pratt City and East Lake
will also be doubled. and both of these
cities are farther out OF Birmingham
than Ensley. Moreover. Ensley COM
mitted an act of bad faith by annex
ing Fairview and Osceola, when the
former King bill was declared invalid.
Under the circumstances, II would be
shocking to every sense of Justice. to
force the weaker suburbs, while yield
ing to the organized lobby of the
wealthy special interests in Ensley.