The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-12
 WHAT CITIZENS THINK OF THE 10 YEAR CONTRACT

l 4 4 A Il V
 Among the citizens seen yesterday there was still considerable division of senti- ment on the 10 year contract feature of the new proposal offered the city by the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power company. Here are few of the expres- sions heard: .
 w. A. Porter, President of the Mer- chants and Mechanics. Bank: q think the reduction offered by the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company is all right. am in favor of granting them a 10 year contract, for without something definite in the way of contract do not see how the management can go before the stockholders wholehearted and recom- mend improvements of any consequence. In my opinion, in order for the Birming- ham. Railway, Light and Power company to keep up with the growth of Birming- ham for the next 10 years they will find it necessary to spend large amounts Of money for improvements" s. 2 Martin Lide: AS I have explained to MT. Weatherly, I think the offer of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company fair and reasonable. The re- duction applies to almost the whole of our people and the greatest number is thereby benefited
 'The rates offered here are lower than
 almost any city in the south of the same
 size as Birmingham. It is nothing un-
 reasonable to secure a long term con
 tract. Birmingham, when 1t is boiled
 down, has only six years to give, as the
 company has now contract for four years"
 F. D. McArthur, Attorney, and Presi- dent of the North Birmingham Commer.
 cial Club: q am against the conditions
 of the proposed contract that have ref
 erence to the 10 year contract and the
 denial of the same trasfer privileges to
 the patrons of the Ensley car lines that
 prevail on the other lines in the city. "The water power of the state is al-
 most undeveloped and there is every in-
 dication that great strides will be taken
 in this direction in the next few years:
 in fact, a number of franchises have been
 obtained in this county by company
 which proposes to supply electric cur rent to several of the small towns at
 a greatly reduced rate.
 Admitting that the question is prob
 Iematical, and uncertain as to how soon
 this will materialize, yet to bind the city to a ten year contract, thus shutting out
 probable competition for that length or
 time, seems to me tosbe unwise. I would
 be in favor of five year contract at the
 rates proposed.
 q fail to see why the people of
 Ensley and it's ever increasing popula- tion should be discriminated against.
 Taking MT. Ford's figures, which l believe conservative, that the reduc-
 ton of the fare will reduce the rev. enue $50,O00 per annum, I think it is fair to reverse the proposition. MT. Ford admits by his statement that the people of Ensley have paid out that sum early for what I believe to be unjust discrimination for the same serv- ice enjoyed by the patrons of the other lines of their system. This in the past
 10 years amounts to a half million dollars. Surely in the light of these
 figures the people of Ensley have dear ly paid for any so called concession that may be now accorded As mat ter of right the people of Ensley are entitled to the same privileges that prevail on the other lines of the com pany."
 Emile Lesser, editor Birmingham Courier: The liberality of the Bir-
 mingham Railway, Light and Power company in granting the cent fare to Ensley with a voluntary reduction in its lighting to the citizens of this com
 munity is very commendable. I think the commission should accept the prop osition.
 Purely as a business matter the company is certainly entitled to lO year contract.
 q have always found the company fair In their dealings with me, and think the people of this community are to be congratulated in having at least one public utility corporation that tries its best to satisfy every one l want to see them prosper because l believe every one in this district will be benefited by their prosperity" John W. ONeill: If the commission would require the Birmingham Rail- | way, Light and Power company to fix a regular day of the month for the payment of they customers bills, to give transfers on the Ensley line and reduce the present municipal and com
 mercial lighting rates, I would favor a five year contract with the city. Ten years is too long to tie up with any company and especially when the pro- posed contract offers no concessions, in my opinion, except the lighting clause, which are at all reasonable
 "The cent fare to Ensley would come in time anyhow and without the | transfers it will benefit very few peo- pie. It looks as if they were afraid that competition was coming in and trying to appear to give something lwhen an analysis of the proposition I!shows that the same conditions will exist without the transfers and a ! cent fare as now do with the 10 cent charge and a transfer. .,-t, Then the most, Important change that should be made in the company's way of doing is the de4iand they make that bill shall be paid within 10 days after it has been presented in stead of having a stated day, say the 10th of the month., upon which all bills can be paid and the discount received. Many men, who are Interested in sev- eral concerns and maintain a home, have the various statements handed to them at different times of the month and it is almost impossible for them to
 remember the expiration of the 10 days allowed for each one and pay it then.