The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-29
DISCUSSION OF
NATTER LATER
City Asked to Pay Street Assessments
Due and the Balance to Be Paid
in Ten Years With Inter
est at Per Cent

An inventory of all property at East
Lake Is attached to the offer indicat-
ing that the lake cost Robert Jemison,
Sr., $4,000 to build. The casino build
ing (theatre) is placed at $4,000, while
the total improvements are listed at
s123,000. The cost prior to the present
owners Is listed at $4,000, while the
present owners say that $54,195 has
been spent by them on betterments.
The total price and improvements is
place at s23e,745
The city is offered the property at
100000. The city is asked to assume
a mortgage, pay for street improve
ment assessments due and the balance
to be paid at the end of 10 years, with
interest at per cent.
Mr.. Notions Offer
The communication of Mr.. Motion fol-
lows:
Honorable City Commissioners, Bir-
mingham, Ala
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES with resolu-
tion recently adopted by you, we here
with submit to you proposition to
sell to the city of Birmingham that
certain property owned by the East
described as so acres of land, more or
less, upon which there is q lake and
other improvements.
Price, 100000. payable as follows:
The city to assume a Z per cent mort
gage Indebtedness due March /, 1916,
for $4,000; also payment of an assess
ment against said property for street
about S3500 the balance
to be paid at the end of 10 years with
6 per cent interest, payable semi-an-
nually. Deferred payments to be evil
denced by notes of the city secured by
mortgage on said property.
The improvements of said property
and which belong to the East Lake
Park and Amusement company con-
sists of all buildings and improvements
thereon except chute the -chutes, fig
ure eight and a merry go-round. A list
OF these Improvements is hereto at
tached.
The chute-the- -chutes, figure eight
and merry-go-round belong to private
parties who built same under lease con-
tracts which have expired and they
buildings from the ground To tear
down and remove these buildings would
cost about as much as the material is
worth, and we have no doubt that they
can be acquired at very low price
Recent improvements
L I I.,f~ 4.
company has within the last few years
built a splendidly macadamized road
around the lake, filled in low places
ON the ground, laid out walks, planted
flowers and shrubbery etc, all of which
has made the place very attractive.
The lake has been stocked with perch,
trout, black bass and other varities Of
fish. The owners spent last year on
repairs and improvements over $4,000,
and instead of the property being in a
run down condition as it was when the
present owners acquired it, 1t is now
in perfect condition.
''The owner has contract with the
Birmingham Railway, Light and Pow
er company for electricity for lighting
the ground and buildings, and current
for power to operate the different
devices. No further paw
ment is to be made for this light and
power for the unexpired term of the
contract, which has two years vet to
run. This proposition to sell includes
the transfer OF this contract for light
and power.
I'm presenting this offer we acknowl-
edge that you are quite capable of con-
the wants and needs of the
city, and it is for you to determine
whether it would be wise for the CITY
to own the property as a public park
You will, however pardon us sor saw
ing that il seems reasona BILE and fair
that the people of East Lake are en-
titled to an attractive park, and all the
people of the city acknowledge thar
this park is the most attractive place
of its kind in the entire district. There
is no other such body of water in the
city, and the place has been properly
called Birminghams Coney Island IT
has afforded pleasure and amusement
to thousands of people in the past. and
we think it would be almost a calamity
for it to be used for any other purpose
than as public park.
Can Furnish Tenant
THE owners have for a number of wears
endeavored to run the place and give the
and entertainment which the
people so much desire, but find 1t unprofIt-
able to continue the enterprise any longer.
They need the money invested, and have
other business to attend to. RI il is to
be run at an expense we contend that il
is the duty of the city to bear the expense
of such place rather than for a private
or individuals to do so. We
repeat, however, our statement made
before your honorable body that we can
furnish a tenant for the property for five
years at a price which would pay the
city per cent interest On its investments
This rental would, OF course. profit the
city more than IT would the present own
ers for the reason that the city would
have no taxes to pay and need not
charge licenses ON The numerous conces-
sions 10 run places of amusement there
I'VE learned through the press that your
chairman Is opposed to the price named
by us, giving as his reason that COM
pany in which he was interested sold the
property seven years ago to the present
owners for 100000. Does he not overlook
the fact that since the date of sale prop
erty was In dflapIdated and run down
when his company sold 1t, and
has since been improved and added to at
a cost close on to the price paid for il?
Has he not forgotten that it was urged
when his company sold 1t that more than
the purchase price had already been cx-
pended for improvements Does he not
that the East Lake Land COM
pany had large mortgage covering its
entire property and the sale at $4,000