The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-09

He declares that while it is necessary that viaducts be constructed, it is not necessary in securing viaducts to sur render to corporations for perpetual use property the value of which cannot be estimated. He declares, too. that Sir mingham will get the viaducts unless the people follow a false trail, or heed the siren lisps of certain individuals.
 There is significant statement in Mr. Weatherly's communication. lie says that all highways. the property of tho people, which the railroads nave en- oroached upon, should be recovered for the use of the people.
 Weatherly Amused
 His statement follows.
 "I have been considerably amused in reading the card of MT. Hardins, rnb-
 ished in The Age-Herald this morn | ing. He expresses regret at what he | terms the drastic acuon Of the city in declining the proposition of certain rail- road corpora ions with re'ei enee to the proposed First avenue viaduct
 with eonsummate skill, almost said with inspired skill-Mr. Harding assem-
 
 the railroads in support of their contep- ton. He resolves all doupts in their favor. He finds no flaw in the ap- breaches, which, exclusive of all cost of the street railway tracks. paving, etc :, Is estimated at slo3,7lo.
 "A railroad attorney could mt have been more adroit thah Mr Harding I | congratulate him. Furthermore am de- lighted to know that he Is now intera sted in the construction Of viaducts. When he was president of the Cha snbcr of Com r1ercc he wal not. At any rate, the | cnan Der did not pass a r9spl Il pr |. e ! dorsing the viaduct programme f the | city when requested to 1o sn. Further moro, the chamber with MT. Esrdins at | it's head failed to pass n reSo4 liioa ch- couraging and urging us forward in the work of securing viaducts for the city.
 Demands of Railroads | "Mr. Harding, let it be remembered, speaks for the people As one of tte | people, he expresses sn opinion to the effect that the demands of the corpora | tions were reasonable-quite reasonable and our action in rejecting those demands peculiarly drastic l cannot believe that MT. Harding investigated this matter, | himself. Someone on whom he relied ] must have given him his informatlcr.. '1'he demands of the railroats we're l Close Eirst avenue from the west | line of the Southern railway right ur way to the east line of Southern rail- | way right of way: also from the | west line of Louisville and Nashville 1 right of way to the eastern terminus | of viaduct.
 ' Close Second avenue from Louis l vile and Nashville right of way to | he nf md xtr !" City of Birmingham to bear the cost of abutting damages. and otn- tribute a fixed sum of s35,v00 Iowarcs | the cost of the approaches. which. exclusive of the cost of the street ! railway tracks, paving. etc., is esti- | mated at s103. .710
 "These are the demands of the ami able corporations which Mir Harding speaking for the people, thinks reason l iable-peculiarly reasonable--and our rejection of which abnormally drastic. Some Railroad Property" | "Now, let MT. Harding fix his eyes on the intersection of First avenue and Twenty seventh street. Then let him | slowly follow the line of Twenty seventh street north to Tenth avenue He will find that practically all of Twenty y-seventh street Is closed to the public. The corporations have acquired I public travel at Third, Fourth and Sixth avenues, for they. and the inter vening alleys, have all been vacated
 for railroad use. He will find that Ninth avenue is appropriated by rail road tracks from Twelfth street to
 Thirty second street and Tenth avenue from Sixteenth street to near Twenty ninth street Second avenue had been devoted to the use of these corpora
 tions for many years, and only re- gently was opened.
 1 "Mr. Harding wants it closed again l--for all time-so that the people shall
 not travel between the section of the city lying esst of Twenty seventh
 street and tine section lying west oi Twenty seventh street. except over a
 viaduct on First avenue, the grade crossing at Seventh avenue and the
 Eighth avenue underpass. Four cross ings in the distance of milel Fol
 the east and west sections of the city lyinG north of First avenue! Now. can anyone doubt but that the voice of
 Mir. Harding was raised in the inter- est of the people!
 Should Recover Property"
 "The First avenue viaduct would 'havc been SO feet wide and would have
 been substituted for all practical pur-