The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-08
ASK THE CITY ID
 GRANT FRANCHISE
Coosa River Electric Company tr Enters Field
TEXT OF ORDINANCE
Offers Reductions In Light and Power Rates and Proposes To Begin Work On January
 l, 1913

The petition of the Coosa River Elee- tric Power company, submitted to the City Council last night, asking for franchise to furnish electric power light and heat to the city of Birmingham, was signed by as representative a group ol men as ever backed an undertaking
 The company proposes to begin work before January l. 1913, and 10 complete the system within three years. The petl- tion is signed by such men as Georse Gordon Crawford, president of the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railway company; Paschal Shook, J. ". McQueen' w. w, Crawford and 300 other prominent citi- zens.
 Roswell IT. Cobb of Gadsden is pres ident of the company; D. Johnson vice president; D. K. Miller. treasurer and Henry H. Cobb, secretary.
 The power plant is to be located at ..Ten Island" shoals on the Coosa river between Locks and 8. It is said to be capable of furnishing unlimited power. Following is the petition and the fran chise for which the company asks, and which was referred to the judiciary, light and finance committees o9 the City Coun- ell:
 To the Honorable Mayor and City Coun-
 ell, Birmingham, Ala:
 Gentlemen-We respectfully submit to you herewith application for franchise, covering the right to furnish electric power light and heat to the city of Bir- mingham. We will appreciate your xrompt and unanimous action, favorable to our request.
 A list of our stockholders is hereto at tached, and among them you will find the names of many of the most prom inent and representative citizens of this district, who have become identified with this company because it means sav- ing of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to the city of Birmingham and her people.
 Attached also is a copy of an agree turers and other consumers of power, who are ready and anxious to contract with our company at the reduced prices, which its entry into Birmingham will in sure to the consumers in this city. Yours truly,
 COOSA RIVER ELECTRIC CO.,,
 Roswell H. Cobb, President.
 Setting forth the policy adopted by the Coosn River Electric Power company for co-pSdinately improving navigation on the -oosa and Alabama rivers.
 To the Honorable Mayor and City Coun- cil, Birmingham, Ala:
 Gentlemen-We were first to incorpor- ate in Birmingham, Ala. to secure char ter for improving navigation on the Coosa, by developing the power
 First to secure by act of Congress, a water power grant at the head of nayi- gatdon on the Coosa river iat Lock at the door of Birmingham
 First to comply with the laws of Ala baana (see new code, section 614O for the improvement of navigation and the development of water power at Lock ? on the Coosa river
 First to obtain the unanimous consent of the inland waterways commission fla voring the maintenance of navigation on the Coosa and conserving the water power for the people in the Birmingham district
 First to ask the secretary of war and chief engineer of the United States army to prepare an amended draft of our bill, such as would meet the purposes of the original bill; we consenting to such time limit and reasonable charges as would aid navigation for the government and water power for the people
 First to obtain, through the deep inter- est of the war department, an appropria- ton of slooOo, that the surveys and in vestigations be made without delay
 First to appear before your honorable body. representing as we do, the pattern or parent bill especially prepared by President Taft while Secretary of War, and accepted by us, embodying the CO., ordination and cooperation principles of navigation and water power combined.
 Thus this great water power will fur nfeh the electric key which we present Id you. and therein lies the certainty of an open Coosa and Alabama river to the gulf for cheaper freight on bulky, low priced commodities by water to the markets of the world, via the ports of Mobile and New Orleans. Respectfully submitted.
 CoOSA RIVER ELECTRIC POWER co. Roswell H. Cobb, President
 Resolution and Ordinance
 whereas, the City Council of Birming- ham has investigated the prospectus and plans of the Coosa River Electric Power company, and the different charter rights povers and franchises with which said cornpany is now vested, both by the state and federal governments, and
 Whereas, our investigation and the tes- tinony of expert engineers have satis- fled us of the feasibility of the project and
 Whereas, 1t is of inca1culable import ance to the people of our city and sectior and to the various industrial and manu- featuring enterprises of our community that the tremendous waste energies oi the Coosa river should be utilized an6 rendered available to them by genera tion and transmission in the form oi electricity and motive power, now, there
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