The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-15
LANE STANDS BY WATER RESOLUTION Entirely Different From
 That of Weatherly EXPLAINS HIS PLANS Water and Light Projects Are Both Stupendous, He Says, and Will
 Require Time for Their
 ConsummatiOn
EXPLAINS HIS PLANS

Resenting the statement that he had agreed that the Weatherly resolution on the water investigation should take troduced the morning following the referendum election. Commissioner A. O. Lane gave out a statement yesterday.
 Judge Lane writes
 q observe in the papers statements that the resolution introduced by me on the 10th instant was passed over' the commissioners concluding that the resolution introduced by Commission CT Weatherly in May. 1912. was for the same purpose. This is an error It is true that the object to be attained was In part the same; but the methods or accomplishing that object are essen- tially different. The resolution intro duced by me Is as follows,
 Resolution--Be it resolved by the board of commissioners of the city of Birmingham that the members or this board be and they hereby are con- stituted a committee to investigate and report on the appointment of three ex- pert engineers who shall serve during the pleasure of the board of commis- sioners.
 "It shall be the duty of said en- gineers to thoroughly investigate and report fully to the board of commits sioners on all available sources of wa ter supply for the city of Birmingham. with estimates of probable cost of se- curing such sources of supply, neces- sary property and rights of way; and of constructing necessary reservoirs. filtration and pumping plants, pipe lines, fire hydrants and service con- neetions to private property lines. to- gether with all equipment necessary to supply pure and sufficient water to the city of Birmin gham and it's in- habitants for present and future uses.
 "It shall be the duty of said en- gineers to investigate and report to the board of commissioners the feasi- bility of operating municipally owned plant for the supply of electricity for lighting the streets and public build- ings of the city of Birmingham and for uses of private consumers, either in conjunction with the water supply plant. or by the extension of the pres ent plant at North Birmingham or oth- erwise; and to submit estimates of cost of such installations
 The resolution introduced by Com missioner Weatherly Is as follows:
 Resolved, that the city engineer be, and he is hereby instructed to re port to this commission as soon as practicable a preliminary plan looking I b, rd construction hX the city of its own waterworks system for the supply of sufficient clear and wholesome water to the inhabitants of Birmingham
 Under the resolution introduced by me. though not expressed, for obvious req sons, it was my purpose to accomplish two objects: One was to secure recom- mendations for the work to be lone as to water, at the lowest possible sum con sistent with efficiency and accuracy; and the other was to inspire confidence In the minds of the people, whose cooperation must be had before anything can be done, 1t being known, of course, that the board can do nothing without pond issue There are some eminent engineers within the city, who believe, would, In spirit of patriotism, consent to act as consulting engineers, without compensafioE, while third engineer might be engaged to do the active field work, in cooperation with the consulting engineers. It is also true that while the city engineer is man or acknowledged ability and fine character, he has his hands full as city engineer otherwise he would not have been em- ployed), and for him to do this work et- ficiently would result in the Ie5i snation of his position as city engineer. thereby necessitating the employment of another. Tn addition to the work contemplated in the May resolution 1t will be noted that the resolution introduced by me anticl- pa ted recommendations on the part or the engineers as to the feasibility of nor only using the water power to De en- ployed for water uses. but also or EtlllE- ing 1t for he production cs lights, e meet the needs of the city, and of private consumers within the cify, at the expira- ton of the present lighting contract on the first day of September, ,9l5 or rec concentrations of said engineers as to other means of municipal ownership and operation of lighting plants. This last resolution was not acted upol Friday but ii will be taken up and duly considered by the commissioners at the proper time.
 Both the water supply ard he light plants are stupendous undertaNugs. which vill require time and money. and steps will have to be taken far in adYance
 ..,,,t oans,,p, m tfnpe