The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-28
J. M. DEWBERRY REPLIES TO MAYOR EXUnT REGARDING
 TIDEWATER GO. MATTER
Refers to Interviews Or Conferences With Mr. Exum Before Election and After-Assurances Which Mr. Dewberry Says He Gave Bankers-Certain Points
 Reiterated

regret to be forced to conclude from careful reading of Mayor Exums reas- ons for vetoing the Tidewater franchise that he would veto any franchise what soever that we might present.
 The Mayor. or whoever wrote the. Mayors communication to the City Council, argues adroitly, but clearly that under no circumstances will competition be allowed in Birmingham to the monopoly of the local street railway com rany or to the river to crmpete with the Alabama Great Southern railroad, and other railroads reaching the ocean and the gulf. We have committed the un- paroonable sin of attempting to build an independent railway and of offering to reduce freight rates to the sea and to reduce street car fares in Birmingham.
 When our bankers advised me more than month ago that their financial plans were maturing and that an ex- tension of the franchises would be need ed, I then discussed the question with Mayor-elect Exum and felt warranted in reporting to the bankers that the in- coming Mayor was favorable to the necessary extension. Before the ordi- nance was introduced I saw the Mayor again. explained the conditions and stated that We wished to be in line with the pleasure of our chief executive. I again was made to feel that he would fla vor the extension While the franchise was in the hands of the committees te V vhich it had been referred I again dis cLssed the matter with the Mayor and so sure was I that he favored the ex- tension that I asked him to speak a good work for us to some of the alder men, requesting action at the coming meeting as delay would be dangerous, if not fatal to our financial arrangements. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when the Mayor left his office and in person ap- neared before the committees in session end requested a postponement-the very thing which he had been told might kill the enterprise.
 MT. J. H. Morris of Philadelphia and myself had, the previous day, called and explained to the Mayor how the bankers representing the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company had interfered with and defeated some of our previous financial plans in St. Louis and in New York and we feared that the delay would ena ble them to find out who our present New York associates are and have them also "called off Within few hours before the committee meeting a leading and influential director of the local street railway monopoly made visit to the city hall and from that time on the Mayor has opposed us. After the committee act ed he Is quoted as saying that he would veto the franchise if passed by the coun- ell that night. After the council acted the Mayor is quoted in one of the news papers as saying: ''They have put on me the awful job," clearly conveying the idea that the project must be killed by somebody
 MT. Morris and I called and discussed tho situation with the Mayor the day following the action of the council and Mr Morris returned to Philadelphia, be- lieying that the Mayor would veto the franchise if we did not in ten days double