The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-02
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25)

not. just as Ne decided to adopt proper 1 precautions or not.
 The same class of citizens who for years baked at doing away with dry closets on the ground of foolishuess and in order 10 escape spending the money it would cost l to make sewer connections, is once more | to the front, baking at efforts to eXter- mnate the mosquito, house fly and other ! unnecessary things upon which science has placed it's ban.
 In handling matters of such vital inn 1 port 1t is criminal to temporize either 1 with ignorance or cupidity. 1 Tuberculosis. ! The spread of tuberculosis should also l be minimized by stern enforcement of 1 splitting laws and by more exhaustive ar i engagements for absolutely abolishing dust i from the streets.
 During at least eight months of the | year. eight to ten more sprinlSling carts | should be kept in operation. The street | car company should be required to SUD- | plement the city sprinklers by electric 1 inside the city limits. Modern flushing water wagons operated over every line | carts are recommended.
 The dust fiend not only exacts a tax in i money with which to fight disease, 1t | goes further in it's insidious way and l levies tax of death on many house. hold whose guardian you have elected to be and who look to you for protection. Meat and Milk Department.
 You have reasons to be proud of the re- suits accomplished by this department. There is no comparison with the quality of milk now used in the city of Birning ham with that brought in a few years ago. As a result many child is alive to- day and making glad a home that other wise might have been saddened.
 This department has extended its su- pervision over many branches of our food supply. It's jurisdiction and authority should be strengthened and extended over many more sources. Two more inspec- tors are needed if proper supervision is to be maintained over all sources of food supply over the vast territory occupied by daires.
 BacteroIogica. .
 During 1906 the scope of this department was doubled by the addition of a Bacteri- ological Department. It has been one of your most effective steps towards pre- venting and controlling disease
 Its services are equivalent to those of v8tchman who discovers threatening danger before more serious harm can be done. While the value of this work is not often figured in dollars and cents, yet it would be ah easy matter to show that the actual savings to the community more than offsets it's costs many hundred fold.
 Consolidated With High School.
 It is herewith urged that a chemical department be operated in connection with the present laboratory, otherwise the department can never fill it's proper func- tons.
 To this end your honorable body may consider the matter of consolidating this department with the chemical department of the High school. Also that the Milk and Meat Department be moved to the High school building. This will produce economy of consolidating duplicate labor atories. It also will provide a wide field of study and education in an important branch of science for the great institu- ton that Is rapidly becoming the pride of your city.
 Attorney.
 19O5-One attorney, salary $500.
 1909-One chief attorney, one assistant one clerk. salaries $40S0.
 Your city attorney has recently been provided with an office in the city hall The accessibility of so important an offi- cer is of great value.
 The value of the services of the assist ant attorney is reflected largely by the revenues from the police court. Police Court
 The routine work of this department has been systematized. The custom of continuing cases without due cause, of accepting bonds not written and signed in ink and signed by irresponsible parties has been discontinued. White and col ored probation officers are aiding the court in handling unfortunates who need moral assistance rather than incarcera- tion Your assistant city attorney was elected in 1905. His function is to pros ecute all offenses in police court and to follow appeals into the higher courts.
 The result of these business-lke changes is shown in the following table:
 1904-Arrests, 996S; fines collected, $24. 299 1905-Arrests, 9795, decrease i per cent; fines collected. ss1. .296. increase 9s per cent. 1906-Arrests, 10,5T increase per cent; fines collected, $36, 994, increase IS per cent. 1907-Arrests, Il, CTS. increase 10 per cent; fines collected, $49, ,S92 increase 35 per cent 1s0S-Arrests, 7297. decrease 60 per cent fines collected, s34,5 ,543, decrease A per cent It will be noted that the number of ar rests from 1904 to 1908 increased r per cent, while cash receipts increased 10 per cent. The falling off noted in 1908 was undoubtedly due to prohibition.
 Police Department.
 The Police Department has been in creased as follows:
 Number regular men....- 65 S9 Number supernumeraries. 10 20 Annual maintenance ..... 200 S6,S00
 There is undoubtedly better discipline and more enectlNe SerV1ce DelEB gwen now than ever before.
 Segregation.
 You are entitled to the thanks of the people for having carried through your plan of segregation.
 It has reduced the number of unfortu- mates In our midst over 75 per cent. by driving hundreds away. It has reclaimed every other section of town from suspi- cion and contamination.
 hoe la 1lra and children to go and be seen in every part of the city at all times without fear of being misunderstood or embarrassed. It has done more to prevent thievery, de- bauchery and murder more to prevent insidious temptation; more to reduce H. centiousness, inciplent and chronic, than can ever be known by the public or the authorities.
 This district should be regulated stern ly; treated fairly; kept in the back ground and conditions improved from year to year.
 Prohibition.
 Ip 1905 the liquor interests were prac- tically untamed. About two years of varying success were spent in efforts ot regulate the dives and barrooms.
 These efforts came to naught on fail ure to carry through high license plan that would have eliminated the cheaper dives and controlling the saloons.
 This failure stirred the advocates of prohibition As a result Jefferson county voted dry in october, 1907, effective Jan uary ]. 1908.
 Schools.
 Your public school system justly ex- cites the pride of our people, 1t is only