The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-05
Turns Down Proposition to
Give $3.50 Toward Enter
ment Next Week
SETTLED PAVING ISSUE
OF EIGHTEEN YEARS
Thirteenth Avenue VIII be Paved Tor
Three Blocks With BituIithic.
Routine Matters Considered
BY the Council

Declining to appropriate $3.50 to the
of International Association
of Chiefs of Police because of the
refusal of Alderman NJ. j. Gregg, act
ing president, to join in unanimous
consent, and the passing of an or
dnance providing for the paving OF
avenue south, from Seven
tenth to Twentieth streets, a matter
which has been a bone of contention
among the residents of that neighbor~
hood for the past IS years. were the
features of last nights ses-
sion of the Board of Aldermen.
Alderman Gregg, president pro tenn
pore, presided over the meeting. Pres
ident Harry Jones was present, but 5
he is acting mayor during Mayor
O'Briens absence from the city, 1t fell
upon Mr.. Gregg to WELD the gavel.
Quite ripple of comment was ere
ated in the council chamber by Mr..
Gregg's refusal to join in unanimous
consent for the $3.50 appropriation fos
the police chiefs convention. The reso-
luton asking for this was introduced
nv Alderman Barnes Morgan, who
asked for unanimous consent, explain
ing that the convention was to be
held next week and that there would
not be another meeting of the Board
of Aldermen until after the adjourn
ment of the convention. Mr.. Gregg
stated that he could not join In uhan-
imous consent; that the proposition
was one which was contrary to the
rule which had existed and that IL
would set bad precedent. II was
explained to him that other cities had
appropriated as much as $4,000 and w.
900 for the entertainment of the con-
yention of this association and that
the usual 500 allowed the chief OF
notice annually for expenses in attend
ing these conventions would not be
needed this year Mr. Gregg. however
still declined and the resolution was
referred to the finance committee.
1t was also explained to Mr. Gregs
that the board of aldermen of Besse-
mer had appropriated the amount oil
$3.50 to be expended upon a banquet
to be given the chiefs
matter of interest in this connec-
ton is the fact that the Board of
Aldermen sent an invitation to the
chiefs to hold their convention In Biz
mingham 1t will cost probably 1880
to entertain them. which Chief Bodeker
will have to raise. The convention
Is one of the greatest held annually
in the country and will be attended by
chiefs from every part of the United
States and other countries The Sc
curing of the convention for Birming
ham resulted from magnificent work
on the part of Birmingham and is con-
sidered as being extremely compli-
mentary to the Magic City.
Interest in street Paving
Regarding the Thirteenth avenue paw
ing proposition, there was just bit OF
excitement John 8. Weakley was given
unanimous consent to speak on this sub
iect. and he made a telling talk which
brought matters his way.
A. report was received from the street
committee recommending that Thirteenth
street be paved with bitulithic paving
from Seventeenth to Twentieth streets.
Alderman Hogan arose and entered
protest. He stated that many property
owners on the street didn't want the
pavement that the street was in much
better condition than many of the thor
orghfares in Birmingham and the few
holes which existed would be filled up.
Aldermen Mcdowell and D. r. Copeland
stated that they had threshed out the
matter in the street committee and UNDER
stood that only three property owners
were opposed to the paving. Alderman
Hogan assured him that he was mistaken
that there were 10 or 20 opposed
Mr.. Weakley was then granted permits
sion to address the council. and his talk
was both pathetic and humorous He stat
ed that many of the residents OF the ave-
nue. wanted the street paved. Further ne
said that he had paid every cent OF
every dollar which the city had assessed
him on Improvement work, while many
of those opposing the paving OF the street
had only settled with the city for 50 cents
on the dollar after long litigation. while
some were still in litigation over the mat
ter.
Then he went into the history of the
matter. telling of the town OF Highland
before it's annexation to Birmingham, and
OF how his neighbors had objected to the
having of this avenue way back in 1892,
and of how he had been endeavoring TO
bring them across for IS years.
To Abate Dust EVIL
"Your health officers have called atten-
ton to the absolute need Of abating the
dust evil and Of abating the danger of
the spreading Of tuberculosis. lie said.
IT know Of houses there that have ty-
phoid and tuberculosis bacilll in them
1t is costing me more to keep the dust
out of my house than 1t would to pave
the street Thirteenth avenue is in fear
full condition. The cutters have washed
down that deep (measuring nearly an
arms lensth) and the curbing is being
undermined The trash has swept down
into the storm sewer, stopping it up SO
that 1t will not take the water off.
II have offered to make the financial
arrangements to pay for the paving. Of
fering to place the money in the treas
ury of Birmingham and allow them 10
years to pay their assessments in. 1t is
the men with the big frontage, whose
homes face Twelfth avenue, who are
opposed to this paving Of Thirteenth
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