The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-18

oIIlcer authorized to administer paths } to well and truly perform the dutie
 or their office, and to use all diligence f and care in engaging in the police ant lire departments of said city onl. l men of honesty, intelligence and abil
 l ity. and to neither discharge nor ap
 point any person for any considera
 l ton personal to themselves. They shal
 then enter upon the discharge of theil l duties prescribed in this act. No per
 son shall be eligible to be a member
 of the board of public safety of any | such city who Is not a qualified votel of said city or who is not over thu
 age of % years. Said board of publlt
 safety shall elect a chief of the police
 department and a chief of the fire de.
 partment of said city, each of whom : shall be subject to removal or srspen. , sion by majority of said board oi
 public safety. The said chiefs in theii
 respective departments shall appoint
 and discharge and suspend all officers
 and members of the police departrnen,
 end of the fire department in any such
 city, subject to the approval of the
 board of public safety. The board o1
 public safety shall have complete and
 exclusive control and authority in anc over said departments and the oper- ation of said departments, and upon l the assumption of office of the board
 of public safety, said departments are
 hereby removed from the control or direction of the city commissioners, eN- cept as in this act otherwise provided
 Each person appointed by said chief of the police department and chief of
 the fire department respectively, sub Ject to the approval of the board of public safety, shall possess such quail ifications as may be prescribed by said board of public safety and the chief of the fire department and the chief
 of the police department. respectively, | subject to the approval of the said board of public safety, shall fill all | vacancies in their respective depart.
 ments with persons so qualified. The
 said board of public safety shall have | the power to incresae or decrease the number of officers and members of
 the police and fire departments, either 1 temporarily or permanently, as in their 7 l discretion they may deem best for the | interest of said city. The said board | of public safety shall adopt rules for
 the transaction of business and rules
 and regulations for the trial of charges l against any officer. or member
 of the police or fire depart
 ments and for the general conduct and operation of such departments A l majority of the members of said board of public safety shall be sufficient to direct l its action. The salary of the officers and members of said departments shall
 be paid out of the treasury of any such city upon the order of said board of pub lie safety; said order shall be signed by the chairman or acting chairman of the said board of public safety, and shall | state the name and position of the payee and the amount to be paid, and shall be addressed to the treasurer of any such l city, or other disbursing officer of any such city, who is hereby required to pay l same out of the funds of the city: upon l a ba ind ment of the payee therein. The salary of the officers and members of said de- partments shall be as follows: In the police department. a chief at $1S5 per month; captain, $125 per month; detec-
 tives, s90 per month; sergeants, $100 per month; patrolmen, $75 per month for the l first two years of their services, and $50 per month thereafter. In the fire de- l partment, S1S5 per month for a chief. | $ll2.5O per month for an assistant chief.
 $S5 per month for captains or engineers, | each; $65 per month for firemen for the l first two years of their service and SO per month thereafter, and si5 per month | for drivers; provided that the salaries I designated above, in this section may be changed by said board of public safety | subject to the approval of the board of l commissioners, or any such city. All of l such salaries, except as in this section | otherwise provided to be paid as now provided by law for the payment of em-
 ployes of any such city. That the board | of commissioners of any such city shall
 provide an appropriate office room for
 the meetings of and discharge of the business of said board of public safety
 | That in the event of a vacancy occur
 ring in said board of public safety, the governor of Alabama shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term of his predecessor; the of a 1har- of ha l,na fl | of public safety shall be presented to the governor of Alabama. That said board of public safety shall meet at least once each month, and oftener as they may l themselves prescribe. The naming, desig hating of duties, direction and control of the members of the police and fire departments in any such city shall lie
 in the chiefs of the respective depart
 ments, subject to the approval of the
 said board of public safety. It is hereby | expressly made the duty of the said board of commissioners of any such city to
 make all proper provision and provide for the equipment, maintenance, opera ton, quartering, supplies and appropria- tlons to defray the expenses or operation of such department, to be paid out of the funds of the city. where not in con- flict with the provisions of this act, with | in three days from the date such action
 Is requested in writing of the board of commissioners by the board of public safety. The board of public safety shall
 be commissioned by the governor of Ala bama, upon their election or appoint ment. No purchase of supplies or equip ment for either of said depar rtments ex- ceeding $500 at one time shall be made by said board of commissioners without the written approval of the board of pub lie safety. The said board of public safe- ty is hereby vested with the power and authority to employ counsel to make ef- fective and to enforce the provisions of this act, with reference to the board of public safety. when in the judgment of the board of public safety it becomes
 necessary so to do, and such city shall pay the reasonable value of such services. Sec. 271A. Any city which shall have operated for more than four years
 under the provisions of this act, may abandon such organization hereunder
 end accept the provisions of the gen.
 cral law of the state then applicable
 to cities of its population by proceed ing as follows: Upon the petition of
 not less than 2000 qualified electors of
 such city a special election shall be
 called at which the following propo-
 sition only shall be submitted: Shall
 the city of abandon it's present
 organization and become a city Under the general laws governing cities of like population?" If majority of the
 votes cast at such special election shall
 be in favor of such proposition, the
 officers elected at the next succeeding
 biennial election shall be those then prescribed by the general law of the
 state for cities of like population and
 upon the qualification of such officers
 such city shall become a city under
 such general law of the state and the
 terms of office of the city under the