The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-12
Make e Warm Protest Against Water Contract
 Al Big Mass Meeting

contract.
 Am I right. Brother DrennenY'.
 Yes sir" replied W. M. Drennen, for mer mayor.
 My friends, don't know anything about water" Laughter.)
 T don't know how it is measured or made. We had experts to abuse us and upon their opinions we made offers which were promptly refused.
 Associates in Good Faith
 My associates acted in good faith. and in their desire to reach an agreement ac- cepted the proposal of the company. said then it should not be accepted in such haste. I believed it should be post poned and given publicity, so the commits sion could get the opinion of practical men such as my Brother Motion, Brother W. J. Oliver and Brother Drennen. l had in mind the referendum And I will say to you would be opposed to the commission form of government unless the people had the healthy check of the referendum. the initiative and the recall. Tremendous cheers.)
 The company proposes to give up the right to charge the highest rate in the country voluntarily This is the company g proposition. There is not line of it originated by any one of the commission CTS. Do you for a moment believe they WOulu TeIlnQulSn tnei1 contract IT IL Qlu not more strongly fortify them?'
 MT. Weatherly referred to a recent de- cision of the court of appeals in local case and said the company in the con tract practically recalled the decision negative to the company. He said 1t wiped out the decision which protects the people.
 Upon his saying that 90 per cent of the people wanted to own the water plant MT. 41,- Mir. Beddow Talks
 Mr. Beddow followed MT. weatherly and flayed the meters. He said the company had an absolute right to put in the me- ters. He went on to gay that the com- pany could charge sl per annum on the meters, much less the proposed S2, and still get a fortune.
 Mir. Beddow said the company had no stock for sale nor would there ever be any for sale and if the people owned the waterworks it would not only make the people rich but would give them free water. He referred to financial state ment of the company which, he said, showed that the company made over s50o,000 on the small investment here. He referred to an expense account of s190 900. Mir Beddow said he could not tell what that was for as the company employed only three clerks and about 10 negroes to cut off the water.
 T am against it." he concluded, "and will be against 1t until the polls close and the people will snow 1t under"
 MT. Bell Speaks
 In discussing the new contract MT. Bell referred to a recent decision of the court of appeals.
 The company in this new contract sneaks in as thief in the night and tries to grind the life out of the women and children by putting clause into that contract which is a recall of that de- cision In favor of you people,
 MT. Bell said the company assessed it's property at sl,C0OO3O and made s5Oo,O00 per year out of the citizens.
 MT. Bell said great many plants would not come here on account of high water. He said if Birmingham wanted to keep away industries then listen to the song of the vampire. If Birmingham would be the biggest town In the country, then own its own waterworks.''
 Mir. Shapiro Speaks
 Isadore Shapiro said one of the most efficient means of the commission gov ernnent was the referendum. He point ed out that in that way the, people ruled themselves. We came here as great family to discuss" he said, around the tdDle an 1ndlSpenSaDle commodity. MT. Shapiro said any doubt about the con tract should be construed in favor of the people. He said any prejudice against the compa-y was on account of theiY attitude towards the people.
 A Union Man Speaks
 J. E. Woods of the Trades Council spoke. He said the contract was inequit- ahle because it delayed the "inevitablc ownership of our own waterworks." He said he opposed it first on that account. MT. Wood said he would make every effort among his people to defeat the contract. He also said that 100 per cent of union labor would vote for a condem- nation of the plant.
 W. B. Keiling of Graymont, who fought the company, spoke a few words. He said the plants owned by the company unfit for purchase by the city He said the city was able to pay for a new plant.
 T. II. Motion was also speaker who told some personal experiences in con nection with the early situation here.
 w. M. Drennen closed the meeting by paying a high tribute 10 the honesty and worth of the commissioners. He placed implicit faith in them, he said. but the making of such contracts must stop. Mir. Drennen recited some incidents in connec- tion with the use of water here which were only gleaned by a careful study of the situation, he said.