The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-16
Expenditures For Improvements.

Expenditures For improvements. .one of the many signs of prosperity hereabouts is the fact that the Birming ham Railway, Light and Power company is planning for an expenditure of between s5O0,0O and s6o0o00 for extraordinary i'm provements during the present year. said member of the Chamber of Commerce who is in close touch with the street rail- way management.
 ''The engineers of the company spent week before last in Birmingham going over the situation with the management and 1t was decided that in order to keep ahead of the procession of progress here certain Improvements and extensions would have to be made at an estimated cost of over s5o0,oO0. While the details of these Improvements have not been worked out, the general plan includes 25 addi- tional motor cars of the latest and most approved type; the relaying of certain old track; track extensions; Improvements in the power house and in the electric, gas l and steam heat departments. The ex- penditure, it is estimated, will be in addi- l ton to about s15o.0oO which will be re- l ouired to take care of the ordinary im- provements of a company of this mag l nitude.
 "The recommendations and details of this extraordinary expenditure will be 1 submitted to the annual meeting of the Stockholders in February. at which time the plans and specifications for the inn provements will be ready.
 ''In the yea- 1908 the Birmingham Rail- way, Light and Power company felt the 1 industrial depression. It did not earn div l idends on its preferred stock. Last year was somewhat better During each of these years of business stagnation the | company continued its policy of taking care of the needs of the district and ex- pended in cash for betterments nearly $500,00o. Much better times are antici- pated for this year, and the management hopes to have adequate returns not only on the original investment. but on the ad- ditional money which 1t plans to put into new Improvements A great deal of this money will remain right in Birmingham. going for labor, materials, etc., for 1t is the company's politely and fixed principle to patronize home industry whenever pos | sible. As President Ford has often re- marked, the company will always be found doing it's part to build up Bir- mingham and the Birmingham district while providing the community with ade- quate public service"
 Ambuances and Right of Way. Tt is surprising to note what little | regard drivers Of various vehicles have for the sick and injured,' said an under taker who does a great deal of emer- | gency ambulance business. Our ambu- lance men have the greatest difficulty in making adequate speed while on a hurry call because of the fact that drivers of heavy wagons refuse to grant the right of way in the street to our invalid carriages. It seems that the effort to aid the injured should be more respected than this, and that drivers should be humane enough to sacrifice their con- venience when all that is required Is to | drive their vehicles q little to the side. Fire trucks and engines are always ac- corded the right of way, mainly from the fact that drivers of smaller vehicles I would otherwise have their wagons run down and demolished by the fire depart | ment.
 "On a recent occasion an officer of the law went so far as to stop our ambulance ! on the charge that the driver was speed ing when a man injured in railroad wreck was being carried to the hospital. At times policemen order our driver to stop long enough for them to look into the ambulance and see if some injured person Is really the cause or the hurry.
 Tt seems that the proper authorities should take a hand in this matter ana see that the rights of humanity are re- spected."
 Remarks on Cotton.
 "A divine in New York city LOOK his congregations breath a few Sundays ago
 by remarking in the taginnins oI hii