The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27
AFF|XES HIS
 VETO TOFRANCHISE
 GIVEN TIDEWATER
Says It Is Perpetual Permit to Railroad, Not 8 Street
 Gar Company
NO TIME SPECIFIED FOR
 COMPLETION OF LINE
Mayor Would Like to See Competitive Electric Line, But Doubts Finan- ciaI Ability of Dewberry and
 Associates to Finish It

The Tidewater Development company g franchise is vetoed. Mayor Culpepper Exum yesterday affixed his official veto to the ordinance and in message to the council submitted to City Clerk Shrop- shire, the Mayor gives his reasons Instead of assigning as his reason any objection to the use of Fifth avenue for street car line, the Mayor gives as his principal complaint the fact that the Tidewater company proposes to run a railroad through the city, and declares that he is opposed to the use of the city s streets for any railroad. He also points out many other defects, chief among which is the fact that no time Is speci- fled in the franchise for the completion of the line.
 Here Is his message:
 The Mayors Message ''To the Honorable the City Council of | Birmingham.
 "Gentlemen: I return herewith not ap- proved, ordinance granting franchise to the Tidewater Railroad company. "I have considered with care and in detail this ordinance. and have reached | the conclusion that it is my duty as Mayor of the city of Birmingham to veto said ordinance, and I feel that I, is due to you, as well as the people of Birmingham, that I should fully state the. reasons which have influenced me | in my decision.
 | T, as well as your honorable body cherish an intense interest in, and ambi- ton for, the future growth and pros perty of this splendid community I ap- preciate and heartily sympathize with your desire to encourage in this city the investment of capital, and particular | ly to encourage the investment of capt tai in the extension of our transportation 1 facilities. In common with your honor able body and the other business men Of the community, I shall be eager to welcome new railroad systems and to en- courage in every proper manner the building of additional street car lines. '"The great bulk of our population must always be dependent upon street car service. New street car lines enhance | the value of property which they reach increase the taxable wealth Of the com munity and add to the comfort and con venience of those of our citizens whom l they serve. The increasing value of our residence and business property de- mands the extension of street car lines, whereby our growing population may have accessible homes at living cost. Nothing Is of more importancse In our municipal development than the expan- sion and improvement of our street car service I shall be glad to encourage, on proper terms, extensions of our pres ent street car system gladder still to encourage the building of competitive lines. For these and other reasons, the proposed franchise, at first blush, ap- pealed to me as they did to your honor able body. It must be borne in mind, however, that while Birmingham is anxi- GUS to encourage the investment of capi- tai within it's limits or vicinity; In trans portation enterprises as well in manu- featuring and commerce, Birmingham can no longer, like a country village. grant every dictated concession to encourage the investment of capital.
 Increased Value of Franchises
 Tn dealing with this and all other pub lie service propositions the Mayor as well as your honorable body must realize that l Birmngham's growth has added value to its franchises; that its streets and high ways are the property Of the public; that the permanent welfare of the greater city. as well as matters of temporary ad- vantage, must be considered, and that
 
 at least as jealously by us as business men in the making of public contracts as would be our individual interest in pri- vata matters.
 q should like to see new electric pas seLger line constructed from the easterS to the western end of Greater Birming ham, I should particularly like to see if it can be secured, 5-cent fare installed from Birmingham to Ensley, and should further like to see a new railroad from Birmingham to tidewater.
 "I can understand that the promised re alization of these hopes induced you to grant the franchises under consideration. l believe, however, that upon more care ful scrutiny of these proposed franchises you will agree with me that the city of Birmingham has been asked to make most valuable grants and has been prom ised practically nothing, and that as a business trade the Tidewater franchises are utterly indefensible.
 Not Street Car Company
 "The Tidewater proposition is primarily a freight and passenger railroad; not a street car company.
 Let us consider briefly the franchises requested The applicant, the Tidewater Railroad company is not a street car company, but a railroad company, with the right to do general freight and pas | senger business. The promoters of the enterprise announce with pride that the Tidewater railroad is to be a link in a through line from Chattanooga to Gads- den, to Mobile, and a tidewater connec- tion is held up to us as a marvellous prize. As a matter of fact, the Alabama Great Southern railway now gives direct ser vice from Chattanooga, via BirminghsSn to Tuscaloosa, and the Louisville and Nashville, Southern, Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic and Central of Georgia all furnish direct outlets from Birmingham to the ocean and gulf; so that. while ] should be glad to have another railroad line built to Gadsden and Tuscaloosa. and water transportation to Mobile, I do not see how Birmingham can be benefited bv the proposed line any more than it