The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-05

in reviewing the testimony of the investigation held by the commis- sion of the disaster. reached practi- cally the same conclusions but holds that they are not a basis for the dis missal of Mr Matthews
 Formal Action Not Yet Taken
 Formal action on the matter has not yet been taken, but is expected at an ad journed meeting of the board of commits soners Friday afternoon at o'clock. All that has been done is the issuance of the two opinions as to the positions of the commissioners.
 Building Inspector Matthews has not been officially informed of the action of the commission and probably will not be until after it is made formal. He stated yesterday that he would make a state ment, but probably not until after the formal action of the commission has been taken.
 The two commissioners who advocate MT. Matthews dismicsal do not attempt to fix a cause for the falling of the Steele Smith wall two weeks ago, when the buildings occupied by the Ham Shoe store and the Atlantic and Pacific Tea company and many injured.
 Wards Conclusions From Probe
 Commissioner Wards report was as foe lows:
 The testimony adduced on this investi- gation as to the cause of this accident, whether it was from lightning or whether it was from normal or abnormal wind pressure. is hopelessly conflicting.
 Several witnesses testified positively to the damage being caused by a stroke of lightning; others testified that there was absolutely no lightning. In like man. ner. the testimony is conflicting as to the extent of the wind pressure;. however, the preponderance of the evidence tends to support the theory that the wall was caused to fall by a sudden wind squall The testimony is without conflict that the building inspector has been honest com petent and attentive to his duties. It has been shown, without dispute and 1t is a fact, known to the commissioners from their personal experience with him in thu actual conduct of his office, that he il above improper influence and that he is a man of independent thought and action Since the commission has been in office the only complaint made against Mir Mat theWs has been to the effect that he has been overly strict in the enforcement of the building laws.
 The building inspector examined tn, walls and decided that only unusua weather conditions could affect them. Hi, opinion that the wall was safe enough tt be left standing except under unforeseen conditions, was supported by the test mony of MT. C. M. Allen, a contractor O character and standing; by Ar. Harry B Wheelock, an architect of high standing in the community; by P. E. Bostick Charles w. Hall, David Evans. and o b. Medlock, all contractors of high stand ing in the community, and men who wer' wiling to assume and offered to assume the risk which would occur by bidding oi the contract for the recreation of thu building, including the digging of a base ment and the underpinning of the walls This would ordinarily be attended witt much more danger than the erection of tn building without the basement and tn consequent underpinning. The building inspector was also supported in his opin lOHS Dy HIS dSslStdHl lHSpeCtOI, IT. Spencer. who examined the walls ant thought them safe. Numerous other wit nesses testified to the same effect. Tn | above are the only witnesses who mad a personal examination of the wall befor the accident.
 Against Dismissal 'The duty which we can now perform other than the inqnental one of makini | public the facts as far as we could as 1 certain them, is to determine whether o rot the building inspectors action in thi matter was such that he should nov | be removed from office.
 "The building inspector is practice builder of more than 30 years experience His character and competency has bee 1 ndorsed by practically every witnes who testified. To this statement ther was only one exception, and that wa the case of political opponent, wh 1 opposed Mir. Matthews in the primar election of 1910 In 1910 Mir Matthew was overwhelmingly continued in hi | present office by election of the peo 1 pie, and at that time his competency an qualifications were strongly indorsed i l a public statement signed by nearly ever prominent architect and builder in tn city.
 Believing the building inspector to b honest and competent and that his erroi If any was simply an error of judgmen and was not due to either neglect o