The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-24
Three Letters on Subject Yesterday Between Con- missioners and County
 Delegation
JUDGES LAST REPLY
 IS SOMEWHAT HEATED
Decision Will Probably be Reached Today on Whether to Call Off Referendum on Five
 mmissiOners


 pIiments on the part of John E. Weak ley and Thomas J. Judge, representing the legislative delegation from tlis county. ana George R. Ward and James "eatheriy. representing the city. no dehntte agreement was reached yester- day regarding the sugrestiop of Wall or reres That the referendum election scheduled for next Monday be called of. AS IS remembered the suggestion of MT. fercy-w was that the election he called on With the understanding that the dele gation amend it's ffve-commissioner hi,I so. that before it would become effective it would De dealt with by the people of Bir- ningham The representatives and the commissioners conferred and separated With the understanding that the answer or the former would be rendered the Ia tier ednesday morning. Yesterday morn ing the answer was received bv the citv The representatives agreed that their bill would be amended The~city, in it's reply. insisted that the delegation agree to op- pose the passage of any bill affecting the iocai government which did not include provision to the end that the people of blrmingham might pass on it's merits. Judge Makes Heated Reply TO tnls communication Senator Judge replied in heated fashion. He declared that it was a matter of indifference to him whether the referendum was called on or not And then he concluded his letter by promising to do those things of which the city had made request. The concluding paragraph follows:
 "RegardIess of what you do with your referendum, it Is my purpose tb.t m. material change shall he made in tb,. eity government until submitted to the people,"
 Attitude of Commissioners while the commissioners did not com ment on the letter of Senator Judge. if is believed that they construe it to mean that the senator will not permit if he is able any material change in the city gov ernment without reference to the people Of Birmingham. If this construction IS correct, the commissioners will of neces- sity be satisfied and the referendum will De called off However, if the construc- ton is erroneous, or if Senator Judge s colleagues in the legislature do not agree with him in his contention that the neo- pie should be given chance to express themselves, then the referendum will be held as scheduled next Monday. The proposition will be definitely settled this morning. In the meantime, preparations for the election are being continued | The letter of Senator Judge and Rep | resentative Weakley, In addition to agree ing to amend the e-commissioner bill. was interesting in that it endeavored to represent that the initiation of the con sultations between the representatives and commissioners was the work of the lat ter. The reply of the commissioners was judged to be adroit in that had the repre- sentatives declined to agree to the terms proposed, they would have been put in the attitude of being willing to permit a substantial or material change in the government without consultation with the people, and thus would have in effect changed the question of the referendum | to this: Are you willing that the legis- lators without your consent change at will your form of government
 The Correspondence
 The three letters which set out the
 
 commissioners and the legislators follow the first being the communication from l the representatives:
 Hon. George B. Ward. President Board of Commissioners, Birmingham: My Dear Sir-Complying with the sug- gestion made by you and Mir. Weatherly at a conference held with us on Monday afternoon, that we consult with the lief ferson county delegation in regard to the proposed referendum to be held on June 25 on the 'five-commissoner bill now pending in the legislature and to the sug- gestion then made that the city commis- sion of Birmingham would repeal the call for the election of June 2S, if the pending bill in the legislature were amended so that it should not become operative until ratified by vote of the people, we have to say, that we have conferred with the other members of the Jefferson county delegation. and we are authorized to say that the Jefferson county delegation does not desire to make any change in the form of the government of the city of Bir- mingham against the wishes of q ma jority of the voters; and that the delega- tion agrees that if the ordinance of the city commission calling the election for June 2S Is repealed. they will cause the pending bill to be so amended on it's final (Continued on Page Ten)