The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-12
EAST LAKE CLAIMS HEARD YESTERDAY WeatherIy Spends Day in
 the Suburbs ASSESSMENTS UNFAIR Grievances of Property Owners Heard With Patient Ear-Exum and Abbott Take Trip To
 Ensley
ASSESSMENTS UNFAIR

companied by Muary Nicholson, city engineer, spent six hours in East Lake yesterday talking to property owners, inspecting work and trying to get line upon what protests were equitable in that suburb relative to the assess ments made by the old city of East Lake and later by the city of Birming- ham when the merger occurred.
 He met, upon reaching East Lake, 150 citizens of that city in formal con- ference at the city hall. There he lis- tened to protests, explanations and other verbal efforts all to the end that the assessments were not within the pale of the right and In addition the work was of an inferior kind. was de1eterious to the property and bor- dered on a production of ruin to some parts of the city.
 The citizens made their case out strong against the assessments and Commissioner Weatherly was all atten ton. He personally inspected the work after the public meeting, having Mir Nicholson to point out the inferior work to him and at work In other ways getting in touch with the service.
 He lunched on sardines and crackers, added to which was glass of milk, at lunch time, but kept at the task until he had looked over 50 miles of streets and had agreed to receive a committee of five citizens later to agree upon a settlement
 It is the general impression that settlement will be reached in a great o@ tIa ha tar tory embraced in the proposition Is East Lake, Graymont, West End. North Birmingham and a scattered area. Those property holders who filed their pro- tests and afterwards filed bond ap- pealing from the assessments, have fair chance to secure favorable opin- ion from the commissioners. At the same time some of the work complained of was performed by the small cities before the creation of Greater Birming- ham. Again the property owners did not file any complaints nor did they file any appeal bonds as required by law.
 Some Claims Out of Date
 It is the opinion that the commission CTS have reached with reluctance the con- clusion that those who failed to take up their troubles along the lines stipulated by the laws have very little chance to finally receive any relief. The city com missioners cannot, it is stated, agree to settle troubles which happened before Greater Birmingham was reality. and very long time before the commissioners assumed charge.
 Commissioner Weatherly said last night that it would be manifestly improper for him to announce any line of action upon the matter. He, said, notwithstanding, that the assurance might be given that every claim would be weighed according to its own merits, and conclusion as fair as possible would be reached by the Investigating commissioner and acted upon by the board as unit.
 No Session Yesterday
 No meeting of the commission was held yesterday. The three members of that body were busy about the city hall talk ing over their financial troubles, giving audiences to complaining citizens and att tending to other details as they came up.
 The financial statement as yesterday an- nounced received a great amount of at- tention and study from the members of the board, who were not engaged on ether matters.
 President Exum, in charge of the finan- cal department will have tentatively the entire operation of the relief measures to be adopted to save the city. However, he made it plain yesterday that the ques- ton of settling the financial trouble would be taken up by the commissioners as unit. and no one man would undertake to solve so pressing a question.
 It has been repeatedly given out by the members of the commission that bond issue will be necessary to operate upon until the income of the city is being col lected and operating expenses taken there- from.
 However, the size of the amount has not been agreed upon or even broached so far as the president of the commissioners is advised. The bond issue will be de- commissioners will consider the financial question from time to time until Tues day when the entire measure for relief VIII pc announced to tHe peOpi6 IOr tflelT verif1cation.
 Visit To Ensley President Exum of the commissioners and Comptroller c. H. Abbott visited Ensley yesterday on an inspection trip. The officials inspected the city hall there and looked over the records kept by Celrk Puryear.
 l The premises of the city were examined carefully. President Exum was delighted with the cleanliness of the city hall, the fire hall and the other premises. He com plimented Mir Puryear warmly for tho good showing he made in keeping the hall The officials inspected the jail also. where they found cleanliness overshadowing even the down-heartedness of the pris- oners
 Officials of the Bank of Ensley and President Exum were In conference yes- terday at Ensley relative to the recent or dinance of the financial department seek ing to have the city funds bear interest Cashier Robert Chadwick and Mir Exum