The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-08

to worry with the others.
 out seats and without teachers or pu- piis. Whats the use asking why?
 S. Fire department motorized and new stations established at Fairview Efst Birmingham and Behrens park and 3o2 new water plugs installed without additional cost to city"
 Yes. But the number of firemen has Deen decreased at every station and insurance rates increased proportion ately
 ''9. Fire inspection recently system atized and number of fires greatly re- duced."
 es, inspection and systemization all- right; fires controlled, but absolutely no control or regulation of insurance companies whatever
 10. Open ditch through which drinking water is conveyed to North side from Five Mile creek covered and piped."
 Correct but only after the ravages of typhoid fever and the insistent de- mands of the public induced the com mission to have the work done.
 I'll. Many dry closets eliminated"
 res, at the expense of property owners who were forced to pay for their elimination or who pay the city s per cent interest on deferred pay ments While the city borrowed the money at per cent interest.
 "12 Secured health department of high standard and patriotic zeal"
 Not so much as to be noticed, for ae- cording to my information the commits sloners discharged a city health officer who had been thoroughly efficient and satisfactory for more than 10 years in order to make place for another gentle m nf
 whom is paid salary about treble that of the gentleman discharged And that is rot the only rat hole in that department through which the publics money is wasted either
 '.13. Traffic and parking laws adopted ,, Restaurants and soda founts inspected and regulated"
 Yes, restaurants and soda fountains are sometimes inspected by specially em- ployed inspectors when the work could as readily be performed by the regular policemen and l wonder why not? Construction of Viaduct | "A Death trap on First avenue re- moved by construction of permanent via duct when the city and state had al. True enough. The city only paid % pei cent of the expense of building the via. duet wehn the city and state had al ready passed laws with time limit com | at their own expence. And moreover by the commissioners action, the cit, ! paid p per cent of the cost of remoyins the Sloss company's railroad tracks iron | the citys own streets, which that com pany had used without authority or law for about 30 years This was financjns for the city with vengeance, wasn't ii
 "15. Wooden bridges at Ensley, Nortf Birmingham and other points replaced With concrete Structures' Granted and passed without common | for lack of proper data.
 TIC. New modern city jail and fou crematories built and dumps removed Shackles removed from prisoners" | Good as far as it goes-nevertheless i | is fact, that the dump at East Bir mingham has not been removed and tha Birmingham still collects more fines an, forfeitures from city prisoners than an, other city of like size in these Unite, l States. Three and four-tenths per cent 0 the city's income revenue is obtained iron such fines and forfeitures collected il Birmingham while other cities :n lik class, collect less than 1 per cent
 TT. Library board established and Ii braries enlarged"
 1 Board all right-large enough but tn library too small to merit mention
 "1s. Laws vigorously and impartiall enforced. All citizens with petitions an, grievances given fair and prompt hear ings Organized gambling destroyed | Two recorders courts abolished at
 saving of over $7000 a year."
 All right. I reckon, but everything con sidered, am reminded of the devil shear ing hogs. l. e., more racket than wool
 '19. Damages paid on account of per sonal injury suits reduced 50 per cent b. reorganized department"
 Maybe so the city being too poor t | lro @o
 "2O. All contracts for public bids an. street improvement work let under com petit.ve bids to the lowest bidder" Nothing extrao'6irary n that Common sense would dictate such action to an body of men or uorkeys with in.eiligenc enough to come in out Of tha rain "21 Several departments colrbnad an a rurcha sing department established a an annual saving of many thousards o 1 dollars.
 May be all right now but understan, that several men in that department hay lately been discharged for pilfering am I know that there has been scandal at tached to that department for more thal a year.
 ''22. Public funds put in solid bank l and interest secured on deposits" Nothing remarkable in this cornmo sense matter of business to warrant an. l halle)ujah shouts so far as l can see. The Sinking Fund
 "23. Sinking fund increased over s40O, 600 and citys credit maintained My opinion Is that the less the com | mission have to say about this matter the better for them. Az it is aN fact that an auditing of the sinking fund b, la competent expert accountant only short while ago. revealed a $70O, 900 short l age i'll the sinking fund; said amour | having been diverted from the cours of it's lawful use or niisappropriated ii some manner to the public, not yet satis factorily made plain. Hence. that sinkini Iuad has been generally daubed. tn
 'stinking fund and like the telephon deal, which the more 1t is stirred. tn l worse 1t smells.
 PA. A new budget adopted effectin annual retrenchments of over s25O0Oo an, rigid economy until the city's revenue b. adequately increased"
 Yes, this is true. but such action wa