The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26
NOTICE Of ARREARS
FOR MAINTAINING
GREAT WHITE WAY
Company Threatens to Cut
Current Off If Arrange
ment Is Not Made
MERCHANTS TALK
ON THE SITUATION
Say 1t Will Not Be Cut OFF on the
Principal Blocks, But Think
City Should Bear the
Expense


The White Way" along both Second
and Third avenues may be cut off by the
light company February !. Information
% this effect leaked out yesterday when
4 was learned that notices had been
served on certain persons by the l3ir-
lingham Railway, Light and Power COM
,any stating that unless certain arrears
Used in the system were paid UP by Feb
-uary / the current would be cut off.
1t is understood that the deficit on Sec
ond avenue in the light bill for the white
way Is s64 On Third avenue the deficit
s claimed to be $3.50, The merchants
whose stores are along the white way
system have been paying for the current.
Get Promise From Commission
When the white way movement was
started here about two years ago the
merchants behind the movement went to
he city commission and asked ther1 TO
pay for the current used if the merchants
would install the posts and lights. The
,ity commissioners told the merchants
hat the city was too poor to undertake
this task at that time, but that Ii the
merchants would install the posts and
lights and pay for the current for the
first year or so that some time later the
city would take over the expense of
them as soon as Ms financial
would warrant such a step.
Now it is reported that some of these
merchants who have installed the system
at their own expense and who have been
r aintaining 1t for some time think that
il is time, for the city to take over the
cost of the maintainanee and that follow
ing that belief some of them are no
longer paying the bills sent them by the
light company for the white way cur
rent Therefore the light company has
issued the warning that unless the bills
are paid by the first of next month the
current will be cut off.
Merchants located along the two ave-
nues yesterday afternoon said that such
a notice had been received from the light
Some of them stated that the y
did not believe the merchants would al
low the deficit to go unpaid and Others
stated that there was considerable dis
satisfaction because the city had not
taken over the maintenance of the lights
and that they believe the current would
be cut off unless the city took some
action
Merchants Discuss Situation
Sol Caheen on Second avenue stated
that he believed that the city should take
over the cost of the lights from now
on Il don't want to knock the COM
sioners, and I know they have troubles
enough" he said, but | think that we
merchants are being imposed upon TO a
certain extent Many ordinances which
| call fads and faneies have been passed
by the commissioners when this matter
is of more Importance.
I'VE have not enough police protection,
and If these lights are cut off things will
be in a terrible condition. Just to see
how II would look ] sfaid downtown
the other night until after midnight when
TIE lights were cut off. Why 1t was as
dark as In the country. We have never
had police department like we had when
Chief Bodeker was at the head of the
police When our lights are also cut off
Birmingham will revert to the conditions
of wilderness
II do not think the matter will get
along far enough" stated A. w. B. John
SON. president of the steele-Smith COM
pany. 80 that the lights will be cut off
| hope the city will either take the mat
ter over or the merchants will pay up
IL anything is past due. | do not think
however. that the real fault lies with
either the city or the merchants"
"rhe lights will not be cut off between
Nineteenth and Twentieth streets on Third
avenue" stated Bert Jacobs OF the Jacobs
Furniture company, the Third avenue
hustlers are not behind in their pay
ments."
"The Third Avenue Hustlers' are all
right" stated j. II. Holcombe of the
Starr Piano company, who is treasurer
of the Hustlers. They have large sur
plus in the bank for the payment OF
these light bills and their current Will
not be cut of.
The trouble on Third avenue however,
1t was understood yesterday. was below
Nineteenth street on down to Seventeenth
This is where the deficit is said to exist
on this avenue and where the lights
viii be cut off If It is not paid.
SemOn Discusses 1t
81 have received such notice from the
light company stated M. l.. Semon, man
ager of the Biiou. Majestic and Orpheum
theatres. "When these posts were in
stalled the merchants here paid for them
and il was inti nated, although we never
Rad an iron bounl contract to that effect
that as soon as ne city got stralghtenesi
out financially it would take over the cost
of maintenance os the lights. And that's 5
the way we put II up to the merchants
along the street when we went around
and got the subscribers to the white was
I'VE bought the posts and the BrninG-
ham Railway, Light and Power company
has no interest IN them at all. The con-
ditlon on the lower end of Third avenue Il
that several of tne merchants here have
moved away. Where the old Graves block
was and where The Lyric theatre Is nov.
going up there were several merchant
who subscribed to the white way, but who
have now moved elsewhere and are 10
longer paving their shares. Now II looks
10 me as II the Birmingham Railway
Iight and Power company wanted US 70
nav for the deficit which has thus been
caused
I'm not going 10 do anything about IT,
I think that the city really ought TO take
the lights over AID maintain them. But
If The light company cuts them off. thu
nosts in front Of the theatres are mine and
I'm merely going TO connect them up witt
the theatres and 20 ahead and use them
do think. though. that II will be pc
culiar position for the city to be found ir
fit allows the company TO cut Off these