The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-28
CABAN|SS ACCEPTS
 PROPOSAL THAT HE
 ACT AS ARBITRATOR
Will Hear Evidence of Dis puted Water Bills-Makes Statement Giving Rules
 of Procedure

Announcement was made yesterday that Jelks Cabaniss had accepted the offer to act as arbiter of the disputed water bills of the Birmingham Waterworks company for the past two or three quarters and would take up his duties at once
 Incidentally, the new water rates Ss set out in the recent agreement between the waterworks company and the city com mission, said to be the lowest ever placed iI force in Birmingham, will become ef- fectfve within few days, on April l. As will be remembered, the minimum charge on meter basis will be s225 and even less. with the rate of 20 cents per thousand gallons over the minimum
 MT. Cabaniss will begin his duties at once, after advertising his contemplated services as required by the, agreement He has prepared blanks to be filled out by the parties desiring to arbitrate their bills and these can be secured from him at any time from now on. Yesterday he issued the following statement, setting out the procedure which will be followed
 Statement by Cabaniss
 Under the statutes of this state par ties to controversy may submit such controversy to an arbitrator or arbitrators chosen by them for & decision, and the award of such arbitrators is as binding on the parties as judgment of the proper court would be. In fact, the award when made may be entered up as judgment in the court which would have had juris- diction over the controversy. The Bir- mingham Waterworks company and such t,,lf a1 ,I. t< kl,o arbitrator will therefore be bound by such awards as are made.
 Under the proposal of the Birmingham Waterworks company. which was accepted by the city, the arbitrator is authorized to pass on the correctness of any water bills which remain unpaid or which were paid under written protest for the quarters beginning July 1, 1914, and October 1, 1914 The arbitrator has no Jurisdiction to con sider bills rendered for any quarters other than the two mentioned, and only such bills as remain unpaid or were paid under protest.
 The agreement provides that five days notice must be given by the arbitrator by publication in the newspapers to all per- sons who desire to submit their bills to the arbitrator to come in and sign an agreement of submission. After the ex- piration of this five days publication, 10 days additional is allowed for persons to sign the submission, so that all persons who desire to submit their bills to this arbitration must sign the written submis- sion on or before April 15. No submission can be accepted by the arbitrator after that date
 Notice in Writing
 After the agreements of submission have been signed a place will be selected for trying the disputed matters and each party will be given three days notice in writing through the mails of the time and place set for hearing his claim. At such time and place each party, together with such witnesses as they may wish to produce, will be heard by. the arbitrator. who. following the hearing of the testi- mony. will make his award in writing. Either party may be represented at the hearing by attorney if this is desired, but 1t Is not necessary for this course to be pursued since the arbitrator will go thoroughly into any legal evidence which may be available on behalf of either party to the submission. The hearing will be conducted according to the usual rules of law governing the. trial of cases.
 'It should be distinctiy understood by every one that under the contract by