The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-21
WELL KNOWN FACES
 WILL BE MISSING
Tonight Is Farewell Meeting
 for Thirteen
THEY HAVE DONE
Most of Those Retiring Did Not Seek Reelection, Hut Five of the Number Were Defeated
 in Primary
BY BURR BLACKBURN

The meeting of the City Council to- night marks the passing of many alder men who in the past have figured no lit- tic in the municipal history of Birming ham. Their seats will be filled, but their the city hall will make the chimney sweeps lonesome.
 There goes R. D. Burnett from the First ward, John w. O'Neill from the Second ward, A. A. Gambil from the Third ward, Phil Harper from the Fifth ward, J. D. Collins from the Sixth ward, c. C. Heidt from the Seventh ward w. R. Starbuck from the Tenth ward, A. R. Causey from the Eleventh ward, L. AL britton and George N. Stone from the Thirteenth ward, William Mackinaw and J. E. Lacey from the Fourteenth ward, and S. Norwood from the Fifteenth ward.
 An unlucky thirteen take their places again as private citizens, while a lucky thirteen will succeed them.
 Burnett, Collins, Heidt, Stone, Lacey and Norwood make their exit with a gra- cious bow. They did not ask for cleo tion in the democratic primary. Macki- naw and Albritton claim that they are still aldermen, and will fight for their seats in the courts, but for time at least they will fight from the outside. O'Neill, Gambill. Harper, Starbuck and Causey were defeated in the primary.
 The retirement of many of these alder men is the causeS of great regret around the city hall, and among all those who came in contact with them. They have struggled through many crises, looked bankruptcy in the face, and fought their way out Many of them probably won der where the gratitude comes in.
 R. D. Burnett has served the city three and a half years as alderman from the First ward. He first figured in the great fight with George Ward, has served as chairman of the miscellaneous commit tee. which fixed the license schedule when a deficit of s160,Nc stared the city In the face and made up the entire amount He has given at least one-third of his time to the city, adding his busi- ness ability to the administration of af- fairs. His retirement was due to his re- moval to the Sixth ward, where he is building a home.
 JODn w. U INtlll VIII toiiiolt ciiu hiS fourth term, having been on the board eight years. In times gone by he was known as the scrappiest member of the board, and was want to give any of them a hard fight on any proposition for which he was sponsor. He has been chairman of many important committees and as member of the administration faction has had much to do with the business of the city. Samuel Stern succeeds him.
 Alderman Heidt is the champion long termer For F years he has been in the seat of the scornful. and his friends be- lieve that he will never break the habit of going around to the city hall on board meeting nights. MT. Heidt has given much of his valuable time to the city, and has also been a power in municipal af- fairs. Having climbed to the highest post of honor, that of chairman of the finance committee, he decided that he had enough glory for a lftime and did not apply for another term. He is succeeded by John E. Morriss. Collins and Gambill served out the unexpired terms of John Forney and R. H. Eggles- ton, resigned. Harper only served one term. while the others have been mem bers only since the annexation of the suburbs.
 After all the criticism which has been heaped on the board, it is admitted by those who know that Birmingham gets more for her money than almost any other city in the country. The govern ment, in a bulletin, announced that Bir- minghams accounting system Is practi- cally perfect, and that corruption under it would be practically impossible.