The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-16
BESSEMER COUNCIL HOLDS B|G MEETING Lewis Will Report on the
 Financial Status CAPT. ROBSON SPEAKS Congressman Makes Very Energetic Address Against Local Option
 and Effect of Alcohol on
 Human Ills
CAPT. ROBSON SPEAKS

Bessemer, August (SpeciaD-The city council held their regular semi monthly meeting tonight, Alderman K. M. Johnson absent, and granted the members of the fire department 20 cents an hour for fire duty only A motion passed to authorize the city clerk ito notify the Standard oil com pany to turn their books over to the city clerk for auditing before grant, ing or refusing a refund of license, and an agreement effected with Mayor Lewis to make semi-annual reports or the financial status of the city, includ- ing liabilities for the ensuing six months.
 After the reading of the minutes of meeting of August l. and no communi- cation on hand from the mayor, the treasurers report was read and received as information.
 The chief of police submitted the monthly report and it was adopted.
 The report of the miscellaneous com mittee that B. F. Perkins be not re- quired to pay extra license for carry ing stock of whips and brooms was adopted. This committee also recom- mended that the free license to operate an automobile transfer to Johns and Adger be revoked and the council agreed to do so The finance commit tee reported that the members Of the fire department should be allowed 20 cents an hour for fire duty only in ad- dition to the regular salary with cut of 10 per cent, the 10 per cent cut to apply to all money earned and the re- port was adopted.
 The report by the street and light committee that the defects of the gaso- line and gas lighting systems brought to the notice of the council by the national board of fire underwriters will be corrected was received as informa- tion.
 The sanitary committee reported that sanitary connections of the property of City Attorney Goodwin should be ef- fected and MT. Goodwin agreed to have this done.
 Following this Alderman La Rue moved that the city engineer and sani- tary inspector be authorized to submit list of all places. adjacent to sewers, not connected with sanitary sewer. Aft CT much discussion pro and con the mo- tion was lost. Alderman La Rue then requested that the engineer and sani- tary inspector prepare this list anyhow and the request was granted and re- corded.
 The miscellaneous committee recom- mended that the city clerk be author ized to notify the Standard oil com
 
 an excess of $200 in 1911 license, ac- cording to new schedule, to submit it's books for auditing.
 The mayor empowered to hire an extra wagon for the street department, should he see fit.
 The matter of repairing the old Hard school building was referred to the board of education.
 The judgment in the Rush damage suit against the city was referred to the finance committee and city attorney
 The action of the mayor in awarding a bid of $75 for repairing of the city jail was. ratified unanimously.
 Alderman La Rue next arose and. read ing a section of the city code in regard to the mayor making written report senti- annually of the financial assets and req sons of remitting fines assessed in police court, suggested that the mayor do this The mayor agreed to submit this report and make a monthly report of the matter of remitting fines.
 Having no further business, the council adjourned.
 The most educative and forcefu address vet made from a local platform during the campaign now on was the temperance lecture delivered by Congressman Rich mond Pearson Hobson at Rebie hali this morning.
 With the hearty approval of the audi ence the captain removed his black alpaca coat, when he had finished his introduc- tory remarks and proceeded to launch a well developed prohibition argument T would rather see the combined armies of, the world declare war against the United States this afternoon and have our citizens go out sober and undegener- ated, than witness the growth of degener- acy which is threatening the lives and the liberty of our people today through alcohol.
 Tt would be far more merciful to sta tion a hghwayman on each corner where saloon would be- if the prohbitionists are defeated, and authorize him to shoot four men annually, rob them and share it with the government. for that would be depliving a man of his physical Dei lg, while the saloon does that with moral de- struction of the victim. a
 The speaker devoted much of his time to the effect of alcoholism on race suicide. the descending scale of mental and moral evolution of the white race endangered by this and the appeal for an immediate and continued treatment of the disease of drunkenness. s