The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12


 Weatherly have found it necessary at dif-
 ferent times to go to Montgomery and as-
 sist in the explanation of different mat
 ters pending before the legislature af- fecting the city, and they have been paid
 their actual expenses. The work was ab- solutay necessary and the amount of ex- penses is shown herewith. "In regard to your request for q statement of the expenses of the com-
 mittee of 100 will say that there was
 absolutely no expense on the part of that committee to the city whatsO-
 ever.
 After the various subcommittees had made their reports, 1t seemed advisable that in the public interest they should be printed, and as the committee of 100 was
 Q volunteer body, not one of the mem- ters receiving 1 cent for his services, d. rect nor indirect, the commission felt
 that 1t was proper to pay the expense
 of printing these reports. Five thousand each of these two re- ports were printed and distributed mainly to the taxpayers of the city, some of
 them being sent, as a matter of informa-
 tion. to the members of the legislature.
 ''The total expense of this printing was
 approximately $500, plus about $100 for
 stamps The commission has no apologies
 to make for this expense, and only re-
 grets that 1t was not able to have 15,000 or 20.000 copies of these pamphlets printed
 so that every taxpayer in the city could
 have received one.
 Regarding telegrams sent to the mem
 bers of the legislature. the city has prob
 ably spent $l0 or $l5 for such telegrams
 not including two sets that were sent to the members of the house of representa- tives, at cost of $b3 One was signed
 by the commissioners, advocating passage
 of the bill authorizing condemnation of
 the Birmingham Waterworks company,
 and one was signed by the president of
 the Municipal Ownership league to the
 same effect.
 "Inasmuch as ths measure involved
 property which the city of Birmingham
 is interested in, and which Its owners
 claim to be worth from $5.00o,000 to $6,00o,-
 coo, the commission felt that 1t was the
 part of wisdom, and the only thing left
 for it to do, to apprise the whole legisla-
 ture of the necessity of passing this bill, and to ask each member to give 1t favorable consideration.
 In Accordance With Contract We would add in this connection that | 1t has been claimed that, the bill authoriz- ing the condemnation of the Birmingham Waterworks company Is in violation of the recent contract made with that com- ] pany.
 q will state that so far as being in
 violation of that contract. 1t is in exact | accordance with Its terms and provisions, the right of condemnation to be there after obtained from the legislature hav- ing been expressly contemplated and pro- vided for in the contract, reference thereto will show.
 50 far as monthly statements are con- cerned, I am glad to advise that these statements are made monthly. You will find an entire set on file in the depart
 ment of archives and history, at the capi- 1 tol in Montgomery, and also in the public l library in Birmingham, and in the com- mission offices
 'It is impossible to furnish you state ment for the month of July 1915, because | 1t cannot be completed before the 20th. l However, as soon as 1t is made, 1t will be published, as all the rest have been, and we will gladly send each of you a separate copy
 "The commission holds itself ready at all times to furnish to the members of l the legislature and the citizens generally all legitimate information concerning pub lie affairs, and we will appreciate the op- portunity of answering any questions l which you may wish to propound at any time. Yours very truly,
 "GEORGE B. WARD, President" Expenses of City Employes | Below Is a list of the expenses of city employees in attending the hearing on the bill providing for an increase in the tax rate of Birmingham:
 Chief Middleton, fire department. ..$ 9. Il Inspector Turner. police department 10.n Commissioner Weatherly, days.... 29.46 1 Asst. Attorney Ullman, days...... 25.S6 c. H. Milan, librarian .............. 10. 3l