The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-03-02
MAYOR TURNS DOWN
PAPER ORDINANCE
Objects to Awarding Printing
for Twelve Months
STATEMENT BY BURNETT
Chairman Says Under Eight Months
Rule One Paper Never Gets
Large Contracts Which
Come In January.
|. STATEMENT BY BURNETT

Mayor Ward has vetoed the ordinance
passed by the City Council at its last
meeting awarding a II months contract
for the cty's printing to The Age-Herald.
The communication to the council con-
tanning the expression of the Mayors
disapproyal is dated Saturday afternoon,
but was discovered by H. E. Shropshire.
Jr., city clerk, early Monday morning.
The communication was pushed under
the cover of the clerks desk. Saturday
afternoon was the latest the law au-
thorizes the Mayor to veto an ordinance.
The Mayor gives as a reason for his dis
approval the fact that the council award
ed this contract for y months, whereas
heretofore the contract was awarded for
a period of only eight months. The
Mayor intimates, too, that several MEM
bers of the council were not aware of
the change when they voted for the pas
sage of the ordinance.
On the morning following the last
meeting of the council The Herald
published the fact that the contract had
been awarded for period of 10 months.
In view of the fact that dark intima-
lions of crooked dealings have oeen
put on foot Alderman r. d. Burnett,
chairman of the miscellaneous commit
tee of the council, which committee has
charge of awarding the contract for the
city's printing considers himself entitled
to the following explanation:
every member of the committee knew
that the change was to be made. There
was no attempt to hoodwink the other
aldermen not members of the committee.
The report of the miscellaneous commit
tee contained this paragraph: The COM
mittee recommends the passage of the at
tached contract awarding the city's print
ing to The Age-Herald.' The contract was
attached and was there where every al
derman could examine it, 1t is the duty
of every alderman, as is known. To OK
anime the ordinances and contracts be-
fore he casts his vote favoring them.
"The committee made the change trom
eight to u months because the allotment
of the city's printing in terms of one year
each was considered the more equitable
basis. AS 1t is now, one paper gets the
best of the pie. 1t is that paper, of
course, which publishes the city's print
those months new license schedule is
adopted and there are other matters in
cidental to the new year which must be
published. With each paper having theS
work for one year no discrimination can
be shown.
1.-THE committee was not attempting to
dazzle the Mayor with a trick
The mayors communication which
Clerk Shropshire discovered yesterday
morning is as follows:
February 81, 1909.
To the Honorable, the City Council of
Birmingham.
Gentlemen return herewith, not
approved, resolution and contract CIV
ing the city printing to The Age-Herald
Publishing company for period Of 70
months beginning February 10, 1909.
1t appears that the present plan of
alloting the city printing during a
cycle of "a months to the three daily
papers for eight months each has
worked satisfactorily and smoothly to
the city and to the papers for the past
10 years or more.
This arrangement having been con-
sidered more or less permanent and
relied upon for continuance has given
each paper something in the nature of
vested interest therein, and it hardly
appears fair to change same radically
without notice, or without giving all
parties concerned an opportunity to
present their side of the case
1t further appears that several mem
bers of the council were unaware of
this change and have requested that
the matter be reopened for further dis
cussion. Respectfully
A 10