The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-13
V|ADUCT PROPOSAL MADE ID TIE CITY
 MEANS MORE DELAY Offer $3OO,OOO to City to do Work But Insist on Ger
 tain Conditions CLAIM MADE THAT CITY
 CANNOT MEET THEM Proposal Is Formally Submitted to Ai- derman Walter Moore and Will Be Taken Up By Special Council
 Committee Tomorrow
BY CLYDE ". ENNIS

The tentative viaduct plan agreed upon
 by the railroad executives, subject to the approval of Col. John P. Tillman representing the .Seaboard Air Line, has been made into definite affair, and yes-
 terday Alderman Walter Moore, chair
 man of the special viaduct committee of
 the council, received the proposal. The
 plan as agreed to was approved by Colonel Tillman when he reached his of flee In the Empire building. Immediately
 thereafter l.. sevier, chairman of the
 local committee, passed the proposal over to Mir Moore in an official way.
 1t was announced yesterday by Mir
 Moore that he would hold a conference with Mayor Culpepper Exum tomorrow morning early, and would shortly after ward call a meeting of the special com mittee to consider the proposal made.
 It was officially announced that the railroad companies propose to turn over to the City Council $sO0,OOO in money to be used in constructing the viaducts. This amount is in excess of what 1t has been
 estimated by careful surveys will be the cost of the bridge. The railroads in providing this amount agree to furnish about $260O0 which was placed In the bid of the estimate engineer under the head ing of incdentals While no explanation of this item has been made, 1t was agreed to by the railroads.
 In regard to building the viaduct one of the local committee gave it out yes- terday that the money which is offered
 in the new proposal is ready for the city
 to handle when the assurance has been
 given that certain conditions have been
 met by the city which are imposed in
 the plans. Although no announcement
 was made by Mr Moore in regard to the
 details of the plan, 1t is said the railroads
 request that a contract closing all streets requested in a former plan be signed.
 In addition to this the city is to assume all abutting property damage The rail-
 roads also, 1t is said impose upon the city all maintenance and betterments of
 the viaduct which it desires constructed.
 The city is to build all the approaches, | pay all the damage and maintain the via
 duct for the lump sum and consideration
 of ssOO,OOO
 | Under the plan as now proposed the
 city cannot undertake the work. In ad-
 dition to using all the money offered to
 build the yiaduct there will be con-
 siderablel item of damage to abutting property. The city has no funds avail | able for such expense. The city re-
 quested the railroads to secure re-
 lease from damages from the Mobile 1 and Ohio and Central of Georgia rail- roads. These companies have large
 holdings near the proposed viaduct l This the railroads refused to do on the | ground that the companies would not l listen to other companies. It Is the | firm conviction of the railroads that if | the city requests a release of dama ges l from the two companies they will be
 unwilling to refuse such a municipality
 as Birmin gham the desired request | The railroads will, before they hand 1 over any money, require the city to | go before the legislature and put
 through a certain law on two subjects 1 The companies desire a full and com plete trade on the closing of tile streets | The companies also know that the city | has no money with which to undertake | the task of building a viaduct and
 therefore cannot start on the work un- | til the legislature meets. The city has
 no right. so the railroads believe, to
 borrow or appropriate money to pay 1 damages on such a piece of work and | the companies believe that, by no pos
 sible chance can the work start for
 some time to come. However, they as-
 sure the city that immediately after the
 council can show the power with which | streets can be closed and by which
 money can be used they will go be- l fore their finance committees and get
 for the city the s300,000, which. it ts
 planned, to give the city under the new | offer
 | The committee which will be called | by Alderman Moore to go into the new proposal will probably submit It's rec 1 concentrations to the council at the | next meeting.
 | As the proposal now stands 1t is doubtful If the viaduct negotiations are | advanced any further than this time l last month The railroads charge the 1 city with flirting" with them and the ctiy comes back with the same insin- | ua tion.
 | The railroads claim the city cannot | make good' participating plan and seek to delay the game until sev- | eral months elapse. At least that is | the present analysis of the conditions.