The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-20
THE CITIZENS RELUCTANT TO EXPRESS
 OPINION OF THE BOND ISSUE ELECTION
There Seems to Be Regret, However, That Municipal Ownership Was Coupled With Political Fortune of An Individual.

Citizens yesterday were reluctant to dis cuss the political situation touching the bond issue election which will occur on the date of the election of a commission CT. From public expressions and express sions in private, it was gathered by Age Herald reporters that while the majority of people favor municipal ownership of a waterworks plant. they regret what has been termed the connection of this question with the political fortune of an individual.
 J. T. Doster, B. F. Moore, H. H. K. Jefferson. Murray Brown. Eugene Fies, J. Frank Rushton. Henry Fitts and others declined to be quoted. Some of the ex- pressions authorized. however, follow.
 W. N. Malone: T think the bond
 question has been sprung rather sud-
 denly. It appears to me that there is
 no great hurry for the settlement of
 such momentous question. l favor
 municipal ownership but there should
 be given some time and thought to a
 question which involves so much
 Henry B. Gray: "The fact that
 the city commissioners have called
 bond issue election on the
 same date that Commissioner James
 Wcatherly will seek reelection is conclusive proof to my mind that r the question of municipal waterworSs was brought through political expe- diency. Therefore, l do not take the matter of municipal waterworks se- riousN, It is politics, nothing more F. w. Blackford, vice president of the w. F. Donovan Co.,: q favor a bond issue for municipal waterworks, either to build or purchase the present privately owned company and if the city commissioners are serious about this bond issue the question is of suf- ticient importance to be decided in / separate election from that in which a city commissioner will be named. It seems a pity that politics should
 be allowed to muddy an issue which
 is of vital interest to every tax
 payer in Birmingham"
 Wallace Johns: .The people should
 decide the question of municipal wa
 terworks in d referendum in which
 nothing else would appear on the bal
 lot slip to affect the viewpoint of the
 voters. ] do not think it at all wise
 on the part of the commissioners to
 hold the referendum election on the
 same date that the people will decide
 whether MT. Jones MT. Wealth.
 erly will be the next commissioner
 The question is too important and
 should be decided on it's own merits"
 Arth,v Greenwood, proprietor of
 Greenwood's Cafe, and a prominent
 Greek American citizen: "The two
 elections on the one day will save
 money to the taxpayers. and the city
 commissioners have acted wisely in
 my opinion. The newspapers have for
 months and particularly in the past
 six weeks given every side of the is
 sue and every intelligent citizen has
 made up his mind on how he will vote
 am in favor of municipal water
 works and both elections on the same day.
 Henry Howze: T am in favor of the
 bond election for municipal water works and l believe it will be carried easily I can see no need of two elec- tions so l am also in favor of hold ing the bond issue election on Sep tember 21 when I understand the communication elactiop will he held