The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26
]. ). MOORE STANDS BY SHOOK IN HIS ATTITUDE ON WATER Says Weatherly Has Cost Citizens of Birmingham Thousands of Dollars
 
COMMENTS ARE MADE
 BY OTHER CITIZENS
Moore Says Cheaper Rates Should Be Accepted and People Will Vote Bonds to Buy
 the Plant

J. D. Moore president of Moore-Hand- ley Hardware company, was one among many citizens of Birmingham who con- cured in the sentiments expressed yes- terday morning in The Age-Herald by Paschal c. Shook. president of the Cham Der of Commerce, regarding the water works case, and the position assumed in connection with 1t by James Wealth erly, commissioner
 Mr Moore, R. P. McDavid, Robert Jem- son, Jr., Eugene l.. Brown.s Frank B. ' zFowlkes and other citizens of prominence, were among those who said that Mir. Shook had given out the most sensible statement of the situation yet to- ap pear in connection with the tiresome waterworks case.
 "Mr. Weatherly the hero of this at tack against the waterworks company, has achieved the result he went after said MT. Moore. But the case was dif- ferent from what he expected. He advo- oated in no uncertain tones the turning down of 97-C, and the people arrayed by him against the water company turned it down. The water company put into effect the rates under 97-C. which were greatly lower than under the contract of 1888, but the courts ordered the rates re- instated and held 97-C to have been prop erly subjected to a referendum. Conse- Quently the water company was forced to abandon the rates of 97-C and return to { its contract
 Obeyed Will of Courts
 "The water company should be given credit by our people for playing this game I. l.. xxlxa 1 the will of the courts in every instance. MT. Weatherly did not even remotely imagine that he was driving the water j consumers to the brink which he did drive them and over which he showed l them by his personally conducted litiga- ton in the name of the state. He has cost this city by this agitation a great sum Of money through loss Of savings from water bills and he is now deeply chagrined in my opinion.
 T believe in municipal ownership. How ever it will never come through this kind of effort by MT Weatheriy The people of this city begged the water company to build the plant here They executed a contract and it is neither honest nor fair to permit one of our servants to evade that contract or take away from a corporation that which we gave them and which they accepted in good faith I believe it is time to effect a readjust- ment of the rates. and as to that the company is willing as evidenced more than once.
 Stop Costly Litigation
 Our commissioners should have have accepted the recent proposal to stop this costly and ill advised litigation and then ask us, their employers, to give them money to buy the plant for us. That Is the business way and only way to ap- proach this matter and all other ways ,,t,Ir rt.at lon n this ambition to own our water plant. I believe the bonds would be voted to buy the present plant But the advice of Mr. Weatherly to repudiate this contract that we have made and his advice to the 30,000 water consumers not to pay their honest bills will not help us to get the proposed bonds sold.
 q believe the officials of the water company will more than meet MT. Ward and Judge Lane halfway. They can render a signal service to this community by arranging a scale of rates to apply for six years and then ask us to give them the bonds to buy the plant. To this the water company is willing, and they should be protected in this right
 Robert P. MeDayid: There is one thing in connection with the water company or any utility company that we must not lost sight off said MT, McDavid. What would have been the increased value to tue oWuSlS ol tHc Wdtci cOiupduy II, when they came here and invested their money in waterworks. they had invested in business property? It would have been trebled and trebled. Yet the city officials raise merry cain because the water com pany wants a fair price for the plant. They are entitled to a big-I should say whaling big-profit on their plant. It would be dishonest if this were refused and do not believe 1t will be. There is a great deal of politics in this matter, as MT. Shook says. It is pity that our city officials continue to refuse fair settle- ment of this absorbing situation"
 Chandler Regrets Political Aspect ,, E. G. ''Lige'' Chandler: MT. Chandler in a statement on the water question says that politics has been injected into the water question and adds his regrets with this statement:
 q regret exceedingly that as MT. Shook so clearly pointed out, politics has been injected into the water question of Bir- mngham. That has caused the great mass of our people to suffer by enor- mous1y increased water rates. Of course, everyone we'll advised that has calmly and dispassionately studied the situation knows that the company could do nothing except to obey the mandates of the courts in regard to the rate. I trust that our able commissioners, and they are able in my judgment, will get together on this most vital question and settle with the company this rate matter to the satis- faction of the people of this community '