The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-14
BLACKWOOD MAY
OPPOSE BURNETT
RumOred Judge HaralsOn
Might Also Make Race
RAINEY CONSIDERED
CONSIDERED
Veterans in Annual Reunion at Gads-
dem, c. & St. L. Improves
Road-Paving Bids Will Be
Opened Monday

| Gadsden, August 1s.-(Special)
evidence of a bitter fight in the primary
for representative from the Seventh dis
trict is being produced and it now seems
apparent that Congressman John L. Bur
nett will be opposed within his party.
Following the announcement that Capt.
| H. B. Rainey is a prospective candidate,
came the word from Judge J. f. Black
wood that strong pressure is being brought
to bear upon him to enter the race. In
spite of denials from Judge w w. Haral-
son of Fort Payne that he will not be
candidate the rumors persist In the
event that Judge Blackwood enters the
primary, it is considered probable thae
Captain Rainey will withdraw, and vice
versa.
| Veterans of Emma SAMSON Camp are
holding their annual reunion at Elliott
park This event will be closed tomor-
row evening. Today was devoted exclu-
sively to the veterans, and reports of the
delegates to the Gettysburg reunion were
given.
| A dinner was served. Tomorrow the
public will be invited and addresses
probably will be given by Solicitor l..
b. Rainey and Judge j. e. Blaekwood.
A sad feature was the fact that Sem
ator Johnston had been invited and was
expected to attend.
| Improvement of the Nashville, Chat
| tanooga and st. Louis from Gadsden
| to Guntersville is progressing under the
direction of Superintendent Tucker.
40 roll httil IA Inns hai ma N
ed and track repairs are beins made.
Paving material contractors are COM
ing to Gadsden to inspect specifica-
| tions to be met in their bids, which
will be opened Monday for the paving
of Forest avenue and Walnut street.
Although there is much opposition from
property owners, it is believed that
they will not muster sufficient strength
to defeat the project
The "R. F." Lumber company of At
talla filed articles of Incorporation in
the probate office with a capital stock
of $4,000. Incorporators are C. r.
Foreman, Joe Rhea and ]. e. Johnson.
AT the last meeting of the county
commissioners there was discussed the
plan of fevying road tax upon teams
and vehicles to raise funds for improv-
ing the roads. Many now favor the
issue of bonds to construct a good high
way system in Etowah.
the community that the town would be
better off with a single telephone sys-
tenn The value of a telephone service
to subscriber depends chiefly upon the
number of people to whom he can talk
through that telephone. With two tele-
phone systems in a city the number of
people who can be reached through the
service of either company Is certain to
be reduced Furthermore, the merchants,
druggists, doctors, and professional and
trades people of all sorts, where there are
two telephone systems are in the very
nature of things forced to subscribe to
both systems The operations of the Peo-
pies company, which had never been prof
liable, promised to become even less So
The directors of the Peoples company
after considering the financial prospects
of their company and the growing feeling
OF dissatisfaction in the community with
the two telephone systems, came to the
conclusion that the best solution of the
matter from a selfish standpoint, and
also the best solution from community
standpoint. would be accomplished by a
sale of the properties the Peoples COM
rany to the Southern Bell Telephone COM
pany.
ficias of the Bell company looking to a
sale. The officials of the Bell company
stated that while they believed 1t was to
the interest of the people of Birmingham
and of Bessemels to have only one tele-
phone system, and while this would also
be to the interest of the Bell Telephone
company, that they would not buy the
property of the Peoples Home Telephone
company unless the officials of the Peo-
pies Home company could induce the
municipalities of Birmingham and of Bes-
semer to consent to the cancellation of
its contracts and to the surrender of its
franchises.
City's Consent Necessary
The officials IF the Bell company said,
In effect, that the law of Alabama pro-
hibited the acquisition of competing
telephone company. That they would not
buy the property of the Peoples COM
pany as long as it was a competing prop
erty. That If the People Home Telephone
company could induce the municipalities
of Birmingham and of Bessemer to agree
to a cancellation of it's contracts and to
a surrender of its franchises, and If the
public sentiment OF both communities was
in favor of a single telephone system,
and If the governor and attorney general
Of the state We're of opinion that it would
be legal for the Bell company TO buy the
physical properties of the Peoples com
yany under the circumstances above
stated then under those circumstances
and those alone would the Bell company
agree to make the purchase.
"Following these negotiations, the Peo-
pies Home Telephone company undertook
t. ascertain the wishes of the business
men of Birmingham as to whether they
preferred one telephone system or two.
Petitions were circulated addressed to
tho board of commissioners of the city
Of Birmingham, expressing a preference
for a single telephone system, and these
petitions were signed by about 5000 of the
business men of Birmingham including
merchants, druggists, DOCTORS lawyers,
and business people of every character.
Nearly every man in Birmingham who
was a subscriber to<both systems was
anxious to do away with the dual tele-
phone system. These petitions were pre-
sented to the commissioners of the city
OF Birmingham.
At the same time the Peoples Home
Telephone company presented it's petition
to the commissioners of Birmingham,
stating that its business was rot profit
able. and stating that it believed that
it was the wish of the people of Bir-
mingham that there should be but sim
gle telephone system. While the matter
was pending it was repeatedly discussed
in the local newspapers and practically
every expression was in favor of the
single telephone system. The commits
sion put off action on the petition from
time to time, so that there might be
the fullest opportunity for the expression
of their wishes by the people of Birming-
lox, mol 1lxr por1 nm