The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-08

looked up the matter and he did not see how to get around the lew, and he sec onded the motion to table. The alder men voting with MT. Perdue to table the salary proposition were Copeland CD. R.), Williams, Starbuck Smith and Rogers. On motion of Alderman Gambill 1t was then referred to the city attorney for an investigation and report at the next meet ing. Alderman Heidt introduced an ordi- nance which purports to pay President Harry Jones the same salary as the mayor receives while he is acting mayor. A party of Pratt City citizens appeared before the council committees in the aft ernoon and demanded both a recorder s court and paid fire department. They | were turned down on the recorders court but the paid fire department was granted and the details put up to the finance com mttee.
 New Recorders Court The resolutions establishing a new re- corder's court, with concurrent jurisdic- ton with Judge Feagin, went through without any difficulty. In committee Al derman Gregg contended that $500 year salary would be sufficient, but this matter was left to the finance committee, which will set the salary at the next meet ing.
 Present City Attorney Robert Thatch. whose term expires next month, an nounced himself last night as candi- date for the new recordership, and there is little doubt but that he will be elected. The Woodlawn recorder was not dis turbed, as was at first planned. Unless there is another change he will continue in charge of that district.
 License For Fire Sales The interesting part, of the days pro- ceedings of the City Council occurred in the miscellaneous committee, when the question of a license on fire sales was taken up. The Harper resolution, setting the tax on foreign corporations, was read by Chairman Burnett, who declared that it was farce, unconstitutional and need not be considered. He then offered as substitute that the license be $250. Speeches were made by the owners of the stock. Aldermen O'Neill, Collins and Gam bill, in defense of their position. in which they declared that they had no connec- ton with the Harper ordinance, ana that they had Harper hired as manager, but that he had no interest in the stock. They demanded fair deal, and said they were willing to pay the proper license.
 Alderman Hogan moved as substi- tute that the license be $500, which, he said. would split MT. Harper's own figures in half. MT. Gambill answered him that "if you make the license prohibitory we won't pay it." The matter was nnaiiy settled. when Alderman J. R. Copeland moved that the license collector De m structed to collect the usual merchant license. which amounts to s250, and 1t was so ordered.
 Tn making his defense. Alderman J. D. Collins said he had written it out, that he might not be misquoted, and he read the following from manuscripts;
 Collins statement
 "Paul, in his defense before Agrippa said I'D to this day have lived in all good consciousness. But for the faith that is in me I stand before your ac- cused, I feel somewhat in the same po- sition as Paul.
 "JJp to this day I have devoted much of my time and means in efforts to re- lieve the merchants of unjust taxations, for I have felt that the burden of tax ration has rested heavy upon them. l shall continue to do so when I feel that their claims are just and well founded.
 .'I have tried to conduct my business In A spirit of fairness and In all good consciousness before God and man and am willing to leave the verdict with the nublic. But at last I have committed the unpardonable sin of buying fire stock. During the IS years 1 have been doing business in Birmingham I have been so fortunate as never to have had a fire So I concluded that If I ever got a chance to run a fire sale l would have to do so on some other fellows misfortune. Thinking this good busi-