The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-19
Vote Unanimous, Lane Read ing Formal Statement Ex-
 blaming His Position
COMPLAINTS OF QUICK
 ACTION BY BOARD
Weatherly Says People Will Have Plenty of Time to Debate Ques- tion-Ward Votes Without
 Comment

A bond issue election for s4.500o0o was yesterday afternoon authorized by the unanimous vote of the city commission for
 the construction of a municipal water
 works
 Judge A. o. Lane voted for the bond is
 sue after an amendment of his to hold
 the election on October 19 was defeated
 by the other two commissioners. The cleo
 ton will be held September 2l at the same
 time as the municipal election for city
 commissioner.
 In casting his vote, Judge Lane read a
 written statement. He said that lie had
 been "misquoted so much on the matter
 that he did not wish to run the risk any
 further and wanted his position made
 clear.
 The bond issue will be carried at the
 polls by large majority, it is generally believed. It is for S4,500,000 worth of 3O- year bonds bearing interest at 41s per cent.
 It prescribes specifically that the money derived from the sales of the bonds must be used for the construction or erection of municipal waterworlSs. This can be
 
 drick, in four years after the commission CTS authorize him to go ahead and spend the money.
 No Need of Further Delay In reply to the formal statement read by Judge Lane, Commissioner Weatherly informally stated that there would be ample time for the voters and everybody concerned to resolve themselves into a
 debating society and decide upon the .l i. tween this time and September 21, and that there therefore was no need of fur ther delay.
 Before offering the resolution for this bond issue he said, T was assured by the city engineer that he could compile data sufficient to discover the merits and demerits of the matter. The general pur- pose of the election is to get a record of the will of the people. It is taken for granted that the bond issue funds will be handled in d business like manner and that within a reasonable time the com missioners will decide how to spend the money, in what sums, what for and sim liar matters concerning it.'
 There is a generally accepted belief that the Birmingham Waterworks company
 and the city will go through further ne gotiations before competing municipal plant is built. If any deal should be made with the waterworks company, however, the bond issue called for yesterday would l be declared void and the commissioners would ask for another bond issue to deal with the situation. The state law pre- scribes that in calling for bond issue the city authorities have to specifically state for what purpose the money is to be used, which would necessitate the double bond issue in case some other course is followed in securing municipal plant than building 1t.
  out comment, and made none after the meeting. Judge Lanes formal statement is as follows:
 Judge Lanes Statement While l am in favor of municipal own ership, l have not been able to see any good or sufficient reason for such un- due haste to submit to the people the question of a bond issue as to give the city engineer only about three weeks to report upon the feasibility of building a waterworks plant and to give reason ably accurate estimates Of the cost and the best sources of supply. I foretold this, in open meeting, when he was ordered to report by August 15 1914, and l am fortified in this position by his statement Ca part of his report as follows: Owing to the short time allowed the report can only be considered as preliminary, | and doubtless will be subject to many criticisms, all of which will be gladly received by the writer, and, it is hoped, will result in bringing about much valu- able information for the city. Now, ask information for what purpose? Why. manifestly, to enable the commissioners and the people to act advisedly upon a proposition involving millions, and to aid the engineer in arriving at reasonably accurate data upon which to base a final report, and not merely preliminary re- ,~f fc r,1of xaf ctr Il 1oar and lasting importance as not to admit of grave mistakes.
 Tt will take months to arrive accu- rately at which is the best source of water supply and the costs of thu plant to fur nish water (for present and future uses) to a city overfng 52 square miles of terri tory, and it will also require much time and thought and consultation to pass upon the legal questions bearing upon the mat ter, and upon the financial propositions involved. It is not intended to under rate the engineering capacity of our city
 engineer, for think 1t is great; other wise, would not have been instrumental along with others. in calling him into the service of the city some years ago when
 l was mayor, and again some months ago when there was a vacancy.
 Thinks Action Is Premature While think call for a vote of the
 people upon a bond issue just at this time Is somewhat premature, l will vote for it upon the idea that if the same be acted on favorably, it wlll be optional with the board of commissioners to sell the bonds at what may be deemed to be
 an opportune time (withn a reasonable
 period). While it would, in my opinion,
 be advisable to sell the bonds all at one
 time to responsible bond purchasers
 would certainly favor their delivery in
 specified lots as might be agreed on
 interest on each set to begin. only upon
 date of issuance and delivery to the city The interest on the bonds will be stag
 gering, and if delivered all at one time
 the city would not be able to meet the interest.
 q have it from undoubted authority
 that the water now furnished to the city
 is pure and wholesome. So if the city could buy the present waterworks plant at fair and reasonable price, that would
 be. fin my opinion, the logical thing to do; for then the water rentals would be immediately collectable and utilized to pay interest. and to provide a sinking fund to take up the bonds at maturity. "The Birmingham Waterworks company would, no doubt, seek compensation for the franchises of the outlying towns in- corporated into Greater Birmingham in 1 1910 (Which franchises extend 30 years 1 from their respective dates) and obviously 1 this was a prime factor in passing ordi- nance q7-C which provided that those