The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-17
MEET NIGHT AND DAY IN EFFORT ID GET AT WATER PROBLEM
Secret Conference of Off, cers and Commissioners Held at City Hall
 Last Night
Fly RALPH R. SILVER Why should I envy him who said: All that glitters is not gold?" Forsooth, I'm just as wise, say All that happens is not toldi'

All that happens is not told.'
 There are some phases of public question fit for the public to know and there are others that are not.
 Merely by accident, conference be- tween the waterworks officials and the city commission last night was dis covered.
 It was private.
 Of course, it is entirely possible these gentlemen met to have game of domi- noes. It might, be stated for the nn- lightment of the thousands who are water consumers and who are interested in the water question, that these gen. clement, however, have not been in the habit lately of holding domino parties.
 There were present last night Presi- dent A. M. Lynn and Superintendent pany, James Weatherly and George Ward of the city commission. Of oth- ers-not to mention reporters-there was none.
 And therein probably lies some expla- nation of that astounding frankness. that man-to-man sort of negotiations which were the feature of those two conferences between these parties at which the reportorial ear was in sea- son and at which dominoes were not. It would not appear a stretch of imagi l. nation to believe that they were then "conferng for public purposes;" how ever, when they play dominoes" it IS behind closed doors.
 At the first conference between the triumvirate and the water officials, aft CT proposition once had been made that it appeared would prove real basis of amicable negotiations, the presence of newspaper men was pro- hibited. After that conference the fol- lowing question was asked Judge Lane and George Ward, MT. Weatherly be- ing out of the city:
 Are the water negotiations a public matter? If so, why were reporters for bidden, and will they be forbidden at the next conference?'
 The commissioners hastened to ex- press beautiful sentiments They stated that the matter was a public matter and that future conferences would be open to newspaper men. G. Ward even went so far as to say that the commis- sofn had made mistake in forbid ding the reporters presence at the first meeting"
 Since then two public conferences'' have been held. How many s'business conferences" there have been is not for reporters to know, but it appeared rather peculiar at the second public conference'' Monday afternoon when neither the water officials nor the commissioners once brought up any of the several questions which had been discussed at the previous meeting and left open Where and when were they settled?
 Could it have been at another of those bus siness conferences" where reporters are not?
 MT. Horner and MT. Lynn appeared at the city hall last night after o'clock I he offices were closed. A signal of three knocks will open them if any of the commissioners remain. They were opened
 When a reporter was discovered in c Wards office, MT. Lynn was visibly em- harrassed. Others were likewise Tn an- swer question on what was up he said:
 T came down here to - and was interrupted by other members of the party. He and MT. Horner went into the next office and strayed there until tine reporter left.
 Coming back few minutes later, the reporter discovered the ''business confer eEce' in progress. When the door was orened' and inquiries made it came forth that the conference was private and thereupon the scribe left the city hall and sought solace in his pen.
 The waterworks deal was dealing, but the scribe did not even hold a pair.
 A public conference is scheduled for this afternoon at o'clock. Ladies will