The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-10
Different Views Held
 On 10 Year COntrdc1
Citizens Seem be Pleased With Reductions but Many Think Limitations Should not be Put on Ensley
 Transfers

The Age-Herald this morning publishes 'nore interviews with well known citizens on the proposed new 10 year contract with thee Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company. Considerable difference of opinion on the subject has developed and The Age-Herald invites full and free discussion of the matter in order to
 arrive at the best solution. Here are some of the expressions made yesterday: Crawford Johnson-"From what I can gather the desire of the people who are residents of Ensey and that territory is to secure a cent car fare.
 'The company has conceded that with
 out the tranfer privilege. It appears to
 me that they have gone one step further and added reduction to the city for arc lights and also reduced the cost of com- mercial illumination. a Then 10 year contract is well from a business standpoint. I favor it because of the fact that the company allows in the contract any citizen to buy electricity from any other company that may come here in 10 years. In other words if I wanted to stop trading with them in six months or one year or two years as the | case might be, and could find another company to trade with, nothing would prevent my so doing. The contract should
 be accepted by the people,"
 Sol Caheen, of Caheen Bros-"I nave not gone thoroughly over the proposal to the commissioners by the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company. But I have looked into the transfer proposition. Tn that the company does l not deal in straightforward manner, but seeks and uses a subterfuge under the guise of giving the people something. Yet so far as I am concerned if I desired to go from the Terminal station to Ensey it would still cost me 10 cents. Or if I
 wanted to go from Highland avenue to Pratt City it would still cost me 10 cents.
 For the man who is down town it is a slight concession
 ''F rom what I am told I am inclined to
 believe that the present tickets being
 sold are cheaper by a long way than the
 new proposal of the company"
  pany-"T am inclined to believe that the company has made a fair proposal.
 The proposition Is to make three con-
 sessions rather than one. Two of them
 are directly to the people while the third
 enc is to the city as municipal corpora
 ton and that is virtually to the people. Tho concessions are greater than were
 asked and I think should be accepted
 Dave Rich'I think the city should ac- cept the proposition of the Birmingham
 Railway, Light and Power company to
 reduce light rates, but the city should reserve the right to buy lights and power cheaper than the proposed rate should future developments make cheaper lights available. I want to see the Birmingham
 Railway, Light and Power company fa- vored over other possible companies, all things being equal"
 1 Richard W. Massey, president of the l Chamber of Commerce: Regarding the l proposition made by the Birmingham Rail%ay, Light and Power company MT. Ford, it's president, has taken a broad view of the matter and evinced an evil dent desire to meet the public's views so far es is consistent
 Reducing the street car fare from hearty commendation of the citizens gen. orally and no doubt will result in larger increase in travel between these points. thus justfying the reduction.
 "Whether it is advisable for the city to enter into a contract for commercial and
 municipal lighting for term of ten years or whether the proposed reduction is ade- ouate, are questions that will be care fully considered by the commissioners. At any rate, an excellent beginning has been made tov ard the meeting on common ground o; all interests concerned"
 
 rate shall be embodied in a contract with the city for a period of 10 years, the city, however, reserving the right to furnish current to the citizens from it's own plant
 now or hereafter to be established, if 1t sees fit so to do, and they ask for no restriction whatever on competition from any other company.
 "The sole reason Tn aSk1nS TOT d terH contract" he said, lis that the company can with greater certainty count on a certain revenue" maintaining that cer- tain return on their securities was quite as essential to their stability in value as the amount of the return.
 Loss $135,OOO Per Year IIe approximaely places the loss of rev. enue from the proposed concessions to be s135 .oOO per annum. He contends that Bir- m,ngham will enjoy the most liberal lighting and street rates of any city of it's size in the south, and that the ser vice is extended over an abnormally wide area in proportion to population and at an increased cost
 Mr. Ford says he seeks only fair and impartial investigation of the true facts and conditions oi the proposed contract and will gladly lend all aid in doing so He said every phase and feature had been thoroughly and carefully gone into,
 and that he believed it would be found
 t;.fa to ,1nnia cp1 nIlblic.