The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-24

the valuation. If I could not get a fair price or what I considered fair price I would be in favor of building a competing plant. The history of matters of this kind all over the country has invariably been that the city plant won
 out as the people preferred to buy from
 their own plant rather than from a cor poration.
 "No l do not believe the city would encounter many obstacles in selling water works bonds for a new plant or for the old one"
 Wants Rates Reduced Belton Gilreath, Jr.: My water bill has
 gone up tremendously, and l want relief. I would be in favor of settling the water question the best way possible under the
 circumstances. 1t appears that the city
 has lost and the water company is the winner It should be possible to affect some kind of a trade to get these in creased rates cut down. Personally I favor the people owning it's utilities but in the meantime our water rates here are out of reason. There may be an element of personal interest involved which will postpone the final settlement of the water question:
 Sees Opportunity for Harmony ]. H. Finder: owing to serious illness in my family the past several months l
 have not had opportunity to study the waterworks controversy in every de- tail as Is my custom on questions of public utilities
 My experience in connection with the Trade in Birmingham club movement
 and other matters the Board of Trade
 has participated in since my appoint
 ment as chairman of the executive board of that body, leads me to conclude that
 the weakest link in Birminghams strong
 chain of big things is lack of harmony
 "The statement recently issued by the
 Birmingham Waterworlxs company seems
 on the face of 1t equitable and just: that
 if they had the opportunity the whole
 matter could and would be settled ami cably and to the mutual interest of all concerned On the other hand we hear
 arguments changing our attitude com pletely frustrating their position Tn my judgment. municipal ownership is the final solution, and for the time
 being it would be the part of wisdom to. if possible, effect a compromise along mutual lines to that end
 My humble opinion is that the water works question. the insurance rates now about to be raised and other matters pertaining to the city's welfare could be adjusted if gone at in a proper co-opera- : tive spirit. Fighting is necessary at times
 but there comes a time when an 'armis- tice' Is the only solution to conserve the interest of great community. It seems to me that such a time has come for
 Birmingham to attempt such diplomacy, setting an example for the state at large. Harmony should be our slogan; coop eratlon our 'watchword seeking wise counsel from every standpoint. deter mined to awaken a get-together senti-
 ment in the interest of fair play. "The big corporations are made up of men whose natures are human. and in most instances can be appealed to if I approached in the proper spirit-a spirit of mutual good will--considering all sides | of the question involved from a compre- l hensive viewpoint. The results would soon become revolutionary in construc- | tive development and our community would ultimately enjoy a land flowing with milk and honey''-at least >an abun- | dance of cheaper water"