The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-02
.WEATHERLY GOES INTO DETAILS OF RECENT CONTRACT Commissioner Is Spicy in Deprecating ''PIays to
 the Galleries" DEFENDS CONTRACT
 AS GOOD BUSINESS Says Judge Lane as Mayor Executed WaterwOrks Contract to Which
 the Citizens Are Still
 Conforming

The Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company lighting contract signed last Saturday by President Gull pepper Exum and Commissioner James AVeatherly of the commission is the subject of an exhaustive statement is
 sued yesterday by MT. Weatherly. He
 goes at length into the whole propo- sition, deprecating the alleged playing
 to galleries in the matter as well as
 the street corner patriots who set
 themselves up as the saviors of the
 people" MT. Weatherly asks that the
 contract be weighed calmly in the light
 of reason.
 In referring to his colleague, Com | missioner A. o. Lane, it is noted by Commissioner Weatherly that Judge Lane executed a long time contract with the waterworks company which is still in effect in Birmingham. In his statement MT. Weatherly says:
 Form of Statement
 "A great deal of confusion and mis- understanding has been created in the | public mind concerning the cent fare
 and lighting contracts just executed by
 the city with the Birmingham Railway, l Light and Power company. Apparently, l thls is due in great part to the fact that
 the Birmingham Railway, Light and Pow | CT company is one of the contracting parties--a fact accentuated by much dem- | agogy. playing to the galleries and poli- | llcs. the great American game, compared | Wltn winch baseball, football and poker and even the lusty search for the dollar pale into humiliating insignifcance. Even the motives of the two commis- sioners who approved the contracts are being assailed in some quarters. and they
 are being lined up by some on the side of the hated corporations. while their dis thgu1shed associate who disapproved is being hailed. also by some. as the tribune or the people, and as their only protector
 against the iron heel of their oppressor NOW, l have great confidence in the ultimate good judgment. honesty and
 fairness of the people. Hence l am moved to make to them this statement of the facts, promising that in no action or vote of mine on this question have I been Influenced by any other desire or motive than to serve the people whom l have the honor to represent upon the commission of the city of Birmingham,
 and with whom l have spent the better
 part of my life. period of 29 years.
 "The history of the case is this:
 'On May G. 1911 the Board of Commits
 sioners adopted the following resolution:
 The Resolution Adopted
 Be it resolved by the Board of Com missioners of Birmingham, That the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power com pany be, and it is hereby requested, from
 and after this date 10 carry passengers over it's lines between Wylam and Nine teenth street. in Birmingham, and be-
 tween Ensley and Nineteenth street, in RiTQljnOham hafw Nineteenth street, in Birmingham, at the rate of cents for each passenger this rate to apply in each direction; provided
 however, that said company shall not be required to give transfers to passengers coming from Wylam, Ensley and Pratt City or intermediate points outside of the old city limits of the city of Birmingham to points teycnd Nineteenth street, in Birmingham; and, provided further, that it is the sense of this board that all
 rules of transfers heretofore observed shall continue. and not be affected by this resolution
 "Orginally the resolution. which was introduced by Judge Lane, on the re- quest of a delegation from Ensley, did
 not include Wylam, and demanded in- stead of requested the 5 cent fare. Wy lam was included as an afterthought, and the word requested was substituted for 'demanded,' because it was clear to all the commissioners that the board had no
 authority to fix or regulate the passenger
 rates of the Birmingham Railway, Light
 and Power company
 "The resolution as thus amended was
 unanimously adopted. It will be noted that neither Corey nor Vinesville was included. No other request or demand as to the , cent fare has since been made on the Birmingham Railway, Light and
 Power company by the Board of Commls- sioners than this one, which expressly.
 and in plain terms, provided for the con- tlruance of the then existing rules and points of transfer, and excluded any and all transfers between Ensley, Vivian and