The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-03
MACHINERY WILL
SOON RUN SMOOTH.
Council Wednesday VIII Work
Out More Details
GETTING IN THE FUNDS
City Taxes Are Now Delinquent and
Collector Will Get on Trail of
All Those Who Have
Not Paid.

Greater Birmingham, according to indi-
cations, will be running smoothly before
the coming of February.
AT the meeting of the City Council
Wednesday night additional details will
be worked out In this regard one Of
the principal acts will be the election of
sub-recorders and assistants to the city
attorney. According to present plans
sub-recorders will be chosen to preside
at Ensley and Woodlawn, and assistant
attorneys will be used at these places.
Following the election of these officials
the present policy Of bringing to Birming-
ham all prisoners arrested in the suburbs
will be abandoned. The plan was
adopted at the suggestion of Mayor
Brien because of the necessity of try
ing defendants, which could not be done
without the assistance of recorders. After
the election, however, the prisons of the
suburbs wherein recorder courts are es-
tablished will be used.
The manner of collecting the taxes and
licenses of the suburbs will be threshed
out, too. The plan to be adopted has not
been made public as yet.
There will be great deal of work for
the aldermen and the committee meet
ings prior to the meeting of the council
will probably result in the accomplish
ment of much work.
Everyone is entering into the solution
of the problem Of adjusting the new city,
and the prediction is general that within
a month the machinery will be In opera
ton without the Inconvenience of hitch.
j. J. Boggan, license inspector will
enter upon his busy period today. All
licenses for the operation of all businesses
in the greater city are due. To just what
figure the licenses will amount has not
been determined.
1t is very safe to estimate, however,
that the great bulk of license collections
will come from the business houses. OF
the total collection In Birmingham last
year the business firms paid In $2OO,376.
Public service corporations paid in $780,
$50. Dogs aid in the support of the city.
Dog licenses last year amounted to $145l.
The money collected in return for auto
mobile licenses is becoming a prominent
figure in Birmingham. Last season, from
automobile and motorcycle owners
s37O6.25 was CLEANED. The number of au-
tomobles is always increasing In the city,
and in the suburbs there are a large
number.
A fair percentage of the taxes has been
collected. Taxes unpaid are now delin-
ant T,-aa nd IV,tc
It's had his busy session last week, when
throngs of people surged about him every
day anxious to settle up with the city
before the addition of the delinquent fee.
However, a considerable amount of money
is yet to be collected, and on the tax
payers who are delinquent Mr.. Eustis will
draw bead today and will continue to
draw until all have reported for reck-
oning.
Today too, there will begin the change
in the offices of the city hall, this being
necessary on account of increase of the
forces In view of the inability to increase
capacity. Just what changes will event.
ually be made have not been positively
determined But the city engineers force
will move from the second to the third
floor. and the council chamber. abandoned
sometime ago on account of poor accous-
tics, will be reoccupied, the defects hav-
ing been remedied
The police department has been rear
ranged incident to the realization of
Greater Birmingham, and is now operat-
ing smoothly. The attention of the city
authorities will be given to the fire de-
department some work has already been
accomplished. AS was done In the mat
ter of policing the suburbs, 1t is the hope
of the authorities to give the municipali-
ties taken in better protection than they
have ever heretofore enjoyed.