The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-24
STREET PAVING
 POLICY STATED Weatherly Says Commits sioners' Duty Is to Please
 Property Owners

"The Policy of the Commission in Hand- ling Street Paving is the subject of 3 statement issued yesterday by Commis- sicner James Weatherly. who has charge of the city streets. He deals pointedlN with the subject, saying that the com m.ssioners are the servants of the peo7 pie" and that they should see to it that the revenues are retained accurately and also that those who are taxed should be carefully guarded | His statement follows: a5i.sf "As understand it the policy of the commission towards street improve ments is:
 "f. As to new street Improvements, none should be authorized except upon the consent of the property owners. the con sent of all being obtained where practi- cable and,s furthermore. that competitive bids be obtained inc all cases, and on all classes of paving. unless the property owrerc join In expressing preference Tor particular class of paving.
 "The idea of the commission is not to create such work in advance of the necessity therefor. but in the main, to follow the wishes and needs of the prop erty owners immediately to be affected by the assessment for the improvements. | Of course, there must be exceptions 70 all cases, as, for instance, when7it might | become essential to the welfare and con- venience of the entire city that certain street or avenue should be improved In such case it might become imperative for the city to improve in spite of the ob- | jections made by particular property | owners on the street to be improved. Such exception, however, will be of rare | occasion.
 .'On this point 1t should be said. also | tha, the board is not committed to any type or class of street pavement or street | construction. Durability comfort and economy are the supreme tests, and these | tests being met in addition thereto, the consent of the people immediately con- cerned is obtained. should say, the con- dtions for new street improvements would be ideal. .
 | .s2. The board has been severely per plexed and surely tried by demands made upon it for reductions in assessments made under ordinance for street im- prcvements passed prior to the life or the board. This applies especially to the suburban towns annexed to birmingham. and to improvement assessments under 1 | these the city has taken the position | that it does not and should not maintain any attitude of antagonism to the peo- | pie who have been taxed under these or | dinances. The city represented by the | board of commissioners is the servant | of these people. It represents them as | we'll as all other citizens. While It Is the | trustee of the city's revenue it must,
 at the same time. do justice and equity to those who have been taxed under these | ordinances, and wherever injustice has been done the wrong should be remedied. | It has been and will be my purpose as l commissioner having in charge the ad- | justment of street improvement assess | ments to act always as impartial arbiter, | subject to the approval of the board, be- | tween the city and the property owners
 to see that equity and justice is done | bearing in mind always, however. the
 state of the city's finances, and the 1act l that its obligations are out for the tuli
 cost of all the improvements which nave been made. Tn this connection we WISH to impress upon the citizens that primarily I no citizens need lawyer to present prosecution claim against the city, anu l that 1t is only where an agreement can not be reached, and an honest diIierence
 of opinion arises, that he need get law yer to help him out l
 The city has adopted the rule of doing it's own financing In the execution ol us
 improvement work authorized py the
 board Heretofore the contractor has
 done the financing through the banks pledging the city's obligations in advance for the cost of the work at great loss
 eventually to the city and at loss to the
 general taxpayer. Now the city proposes
 10 raise the money needed for such work
 and of course will get the benefit of the
 citys credit in securing cheaper interes'
 rates and furthermore wiN cut out all
 unnecessary charges and commissions oI
 the middle man.
 We propose, also, to see to 1t that noi only the fairest prices for the work alt
 secured but that the work is done in the
 best and most workmanlike manner. Un-
 der this policy there can be. no favor,t. ism, but the people will secure good streets and sidewalks at reasonable cost l and as nearly as reasonably practicable
 only when they want them.