The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-22

It will be seen that the city fathers strenuous effort, have comp eted the year, and now nave practically clean slate While the viaduct agreement and the storm sewers go over to the new year, they are both practically sett!e1. The viaduct agreement is signed by the city and the railroads, over half the mem bers of the council having already passed on 1t and indorsed it, and nothing re- mains but the formalty of adopting 1t.
 The letting of the storm sewer contract is a simple matter, requiring only that the street committee canvass the bids and award the contract to the lowest bid der.
 Some big things have been done by the City Council in the past two months. They have required over half of the time of most of the aldermen. Mayor Exum has not given one hour of his time since his election to his own private business. Some of the Things Done The Providence Gas franchise, the Coosa River Electric franchise. the Tidewater railroad franchise all had to be thrashed out and adopted The finance committee has wrestled night after night with the budget, and finally ranaged to cut the deficit for the year almost in half. The improvement ordi- nances for nearly $5O0,0O0 worth of street improvements and $250,OOO in storm sew CTS had to be prepared, and the materials to be used equitably adjusted. The mayor and council have accomplished what the city has been fighting for during 10 years-an actual agreement by which two viaducts are to be constructed. It has been the most eventful 60 days in the history of any Board of Aldermen, and while the council has been under heavy fire of criticism. 1t has kept on plugging night after night, and succeeded where others have failed.
 Following the reading of the minutes by City Clerk Shropshire, the message of the mayor, referring the report of Special Engineer Morris Knowles on the North Birmingham municipal plants to the council, was read and referred to the finance committee for consideration. His message recommending a practical revolution in the fire department, which
 is given in another column. was also re- ferred to the same committee.
 The council then went into the election of alderman from the Ninth ward to suc- ceed Coffee Jackson, resigned. Joe Wie- ferich. IT,, was elected over John Shan non by vote of II to g, and MT. Wieferich was immediately sworn and in- stalled.
 Underwater Matter Taken Up The regular reports of committees then
 proceeded, and the first hitch came when
 the joint report of the committees on
 the Tidewater franchise was read by
 Chairman M. J. Gregg. Alderman George
 Huddleston made speech in which he de-
 clared that the franchise in it's present
 shape contains all the bad points of the
 one vetoed by the mayor, and several
 other objectionable features. Aldermen
 Sterne and Perdue both made speeches
 against the franchise, and 1t was finally adopted with four dissenting votes
 Stern, Huddleston, Frank Smith and. Perdue.
 These four made strenuous efforts to amend the franchise, but could muster no further strength, except that of c. B. Morgan, who favored an amendment re- quiring the Tidewater company to put in certain street improvements.
 Amendments Defeated Here are the amendments which were introduced and defeated:
 By Huddlseton: That paragraph Il of the section of said franchise numbered Il. Terms and conditions" be amended by adding at the end there the following
 Said grantee shall grade, cherts and
 maintain, with four inches of good quail ty of chert Underwood avenue from east ern limits of city to Sixty-seventh street. frcm Underwood avenue to Hillman ave-
 nue, Hillman avenue, Second avenue, South, Georgia dirt road and Fifth avenue (heing a continuation of the same streeU from sixty-seventh street to Summer ave- tCoNTINUED ON PAGE ILL