The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-26
TWO CONTRACTS . ARE EXECUTED BY TWO ID ONE VOTE Exum and Weatherly in
 Favor of the Ten
 Year Plan REFERENDUM MAY
 YET BE INVOKED Ensley and Vivian Citizens Are Dis satisfied and May Call an Elec-
 ton to Vote on the Matter

one vote passed an ordinance submitted
 by the Birmingham Railway, Light and
 Power company relating to arc lighting
 for the city and the electric charges to-
 make citizens contract was also exe-
 cuted, establishing a 5 cent car fare on
 the Ensley lines with transfers into Bir-
 mingham exclusive of Wylam and that
 Birmingham. The vote upon the two pro-
 posals was: Ayes, President Culpepper
 Exum and Commissioner James Weather
 ly; nay, Commissioner A. O. Lane. It Is most probable that on the light ing ordinance the referendum provided for in the Percy commission bill, under which all commission cities in this state operate, will be invoked by the people of the Ensley territory As to the contract for 5 cent car fare. that, it Is said
 may not be subject matter of refer
 endum vote.
 It is doubtful whether the commission CTS have ever held a session where SO
 so much interest was shown or where two propositions were passed with Com | missioner Lane fighting every inch of ground to deefat the propositions which
 he termed: wholly -undesirable' Ensley and Vivian Citizens
 The meeting opened at 10 o'clock with a delegation of about 30 men present from | Ensley and Wylam. The Ensley citizens | said they loved the people of Wylam as
 brothers and that rather than enjoy their | long sought for cent fare reduction cou- | pied with the 10 year lighting contract. | they would struggle along under present conditions until the coming of the Tide water settled the proposition by the in- jection of competition. The citizens of Wylam bravely put up ther case, charg- ing discrimination inasmuch as transfers
 and cent fare were disallowed Vivian. When the meeting opened and after the
 citizens had presented their protests in the form of resolutions adopted by a
 mass meeting previously held, Commits
 sioner Lane introduced a substitute to
 the Birmingham Railway. Light and Pow CT company proposal which was to ,ue effect that the contract term of the Br- | mingham Railway, Light and Power com pany on lights be not extended. Other | small changes of technical character
 were also offered by Judge Lane. | President Exum and MT. Weatherly ex- pressed surprise when the ordinance was | introduced and told Judge Lane that perhaps one of his desired changes would have been agreed to by the company had the officials been consulted about them At a subsequent executive session ana before the adoption of the two proposals
 this actually occurred.
 Commissioner Lane also offered a reso-
 lution as to the reduction of car fare to
 the end that all parts of Greater Birming-
 ham should share alike in the issuance
 of transfers.
 Exum Explains Position | At this juncture President Exum and MT. Weatherly explained their positions. MT. Exum was first and said substan-
 tially:
 q desire to say frankly to you gentle | men before you retire for our short con- sultation, that have not expressly or | impliedly advocated any discrimination against Wylam. I tried the best that
 knew how to get you into this transfer
 proposition, but the company met us with | a point blank negative answer.
 We then determined to get the best | possible contract for the citizens of Br- mingham and I believe we will get 1t.
 am now engaged in building a plant near | Wylam which will employ many men. l have host of friends in Wylam. I will | perhaps have to use the cars there more | than any man here in the future. and when I am charged with discriminating
 against Wylam it is against myself, as | you see.
 q believe that the original resolution did not carry any reference to transfers but simply asked for reduced car fare. That was refused, but subsequently, we secured this offering. I believe the con tracts are the best for the greater num- Der of people, and am for them. we have caused to be made an exhaus- tive examination of the proposed light | ing ordinance. We are told that the saw ing will effect every householder of Bir-
 mingham in the reduced lighting cost. On
 behalf of the city we are simply risking about $75,000 to secure for the citizens of |this city $2S0.00O, That is the financial end of the proposition. In this extension of