The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-22
BESSEMER NEWS

@DN1o@AA12S II
 The Bessemer city coucil, in regular session tonight, unanimously reelected
 Dr. J. s. Winters as alderman from the
 Second ward to fill the vacancy on
 the board caused by his resignation
 sometime ago. It will be remembered
 that Dr. Winters resigned from the
 board following the police probe at
 which time his resignation was recom-
 mended by the citizens committee By their action tonight, the aldermen re- pudiated the committees recommenda- tion insofar as it pertained to pr. Winters
 The license schedule for the year of 1916 was adopted with a number of changes, among the most important be- ing the raising of the tax of water
 works companies from $500 to 5000
 and express companies from $175 to $25O.
 The council was called to order at s o'clock by President George Ross with Aldermen Jesse Edwards and J N. Smithson absent and after the read ing of the minutes, communication. From Mayor I. A. Lewis was read in which he asked permission of the al- dermanic body to have the Birmin gham Railway, Light and Power company | change the gas lighting fixtures in the city hall so as to reduce the consump- tion of gas in the building. This was granted.
 The reports of Chief of the Fire De- partment, J. I. Reeder and R. V. Hazel wood, meat and milk inspector, were ! read and received as information. Dr. George w. Patton stated to the council that the board of revenue had stated that it would build dipping vat in Bessemer provided the city would furnish six yards of slag, three
 yards of sand and the labor. He stated | that he thought it was necessary to
 have vat in Bessemer as the nearest
 one was at Glenn Springs. After some
 consideration, a motion was made that
 the city furnish the things named by
 Dr. Patton and the vat be erected at l Bessemer, the site to be somewhere
 near Second avenue and Seventh l street.
 Free license were granted to MT. Vim
 Ing to operate grovery store on Third | avenue and Fourth street
 Roy D. Ling, representing the clean
 ing the pressing men of the city, asked
 that the council not grant to the Bes-
 semer Steam Laundry free license to
 operate cleaning and pressing shop
 after January l, 1916, as all of the
 others in the business paid a license | A motlon was made that all cleaning
 and pressing shops be required to pay
 the license named in the license sched-
 ule for the year 1916 This was | adopted.
 l An ordinance requiring the Louisville 1 and Nashville railroad company to
 place a watchman at the Fifth avenue
 crossing was brought up and Thomas
 T. Huey stated that he had taken the
 matter up with MT Brooks and he had I said that there was an electric devise 1 which he thought would satisfy mem l pers or the council and that it would work at night as well as day and would
 take the place of two watchmen. He | further stated that Mr. Brooks had intended to come to Bessemer and dem onstrate the devise and ask that the
 matter be held over until the next | meting. This matter was discussed at
 length; Mayor Lewis stating that the | crossing was a very dangerous one
 and he thought the Louisville and | with very little expense to the com | pany. MT. Huey then said the com pany would have to go to the expense | of erecting small house for the flag
 man and this would be useless if the | electric devise was placed at that cross
 Ing. Alderman Huey laughingly said, | Well, they can use it for another de-
 pot" This created much amusement from the crowd as did Alderman Sur | ratt when he stated "the company had | saved enough money on the new pas
 senger depot to put flagmen at every | crossing between here and Mobile" The l ordinance was passed as read
 1 The committee to which was re- 1 ferred the complaint of J. I. Reeder.
 of the station at East Bessemer on 1 the South Bessemer car line, being
 in the middle of the street, reported that the Birmingham Railway, Light
 and Power company had agreed to | move the station to any site selected ! by the aldermanic body. The com | mittee was appointed to select site l The committee to which was referred | the mater of the passenger depot of | the Louisville and Nashville railroad l company being erected at Bessemer
 not coming up to the specifications, | reported that letter had been re-
 ceived from Atticus Mullen of the Ala l bama railroad commission, stating
 that the mater would be investigated | and the council notified later
 l The mater of licensing trading stamp
 companies in the city was discussed at l great length and a tax of S150 was | finally placed on them by the aldermen l through motion by President of the l Council, Ross. who left the chair and l appointed Alderman Deason to take it. | He offered an amendment to the orig | inal license and this amendment was l adopted Alderman Milton submitted | an amendment to the schedule that all 1 trading stamp companies be taxed $500 l and each merchant who gave the stamps be taxed s100 Dr. Lewis of
 the Lewis Read Drug company, arose l at this point and stated that he did not think it was any business of the council if he wanted to give away all I or any part of his business and met with applause. T. w. Bingham. rep
 resenting the Retail Merchants Trad | ing Stamp company, of Birmingham. made strong plea for a square deal and fair license based on the volume o fbusiness done by his company and stating that his books were open at all times to any member or committee
 of the council, and that a tax of S75 as | was originally put in the schedule by ! the miscellaneous committee, was ex- | cessive in view of the business his i company is doing in this city at present l and the business it naturally expects , to do in the future as based on the past