The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-04
Did Not Make Note Public

Did Not Make Note Public l MT. Malone yesterday afternoon did not make public his note. The information as to its being communicated came through the board of revenue offices and was taken to mean that the statement | that an effort would be made in all | earnestness to take up the jail value by property owners and give the taxpayers of this county through their board of i revenue the cash equivalent for the prop erty was not an idle speculation. It is | the opinion of well informed men be- | hind the movement, who are not given | to being over sanguine, that these nego- | tiations, the most original ever started in | the movement to remove the "carbuncle." " will result favorably. The originator of the idea to buy the property is not known | It is whispered about. however that a | far-sighted county official mildly suggest l ed that if the people wanted the car buncle'' removed money would turn the | trick quicker than anything that he could think of.
 matic intimation, the matter was started | without delay.
 Asks for Opinion
 | MT. Malone, who is the only property owner who is officially known in the
 
 | ty-first street. said yesterday, when asked about the situation that there was noth- | ing to be said at this time except the confirmation of the fact that he had l sent communication to the board of revenue. asking for the 60 days or 90 | days option on the property. He added l that he felt sure that the option would | be given by the board of revenue and l if it was he believed that a sufficient | fund could be raised among the property owners directly interested to effect a sale | to them of the county property.
 l There is said to be no legal bar to | the proceedings if thx members of the ! board of revenue really desire to assist | in freeing the street of the admittedly unattractive prison It is stated that the members of the board have felt strongly on the matter of removing the jail and believe they would be doing a great serv- ice not only to the county but to the chief city of the county by selling or | removing the jail.
 Mir. Malone, in discussing the matter yesterday, said that a conference of the property owners most interested would be | held in a day or two at the Newspaper club, where the whole situation would 1 be thoroughly canvassed and a plan of | campaign outlined. There it will also be determined where the money is to come from to get the property if the option is given.
 With $150,000 which is said to be near the market value of the land, it is be- lieved the board would have a nucleus for fine jail to be erected elsewhere. With that money and a slight additional amount sufficient acreage could be se- cured and jail erected which would for ever solve the prison problem here and would add 100 per cent to one of the principal thoroughfares connecting the Northside with the Southside
 Condemned On Several Occasions The jail as it now stands has been con- demned by the state health authorities two or three times, and temporary addi- tions and housecleanings only saved this county from the humiliation of having it's prisoners sent to other counties for their own physical protection. The state au- tnorities now are viewing the local sit uation with some misgivings, and the day IS not far distant, 1t is stated, when pr w. H. Oates. the prison inspector, is liable to appear here and give out some orders In connection with the prison
 lnis condition. added to the bearish in- nuence the jail has on commercial values downtown, its depressing effect on two churches with large congregations-that IS the First Presbyterian and St. Paul's oathonc churches-the eyesore if has always been to that community are feat ures that blend so well as to form the conclusion that this time something will be done. The whole matter is a business transaction. The proposition is to trade. It is believed. therefore. that something Will develop. It required 15 years to get a viaduct started here. Over 10 years were spent in getting the Belgian blocks removed from the business center and for years and years this city suffered for the want of railroad passenger station. For 10 years the hotel problem was a vexing one. Now all these things have been solved. It is held, however that the 'carbuncle'' is the worst of all the instructions that stand in the way of progress here. and that in time that iail will be moved from its present situation. i To this end it is believed all patriotic