The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-06
Present Trio Is Awaiting Arrival of New Faces Be-
 fore Becoming Active
FINANCIAL ILLS CAUSE OF WORRY
New Commissioners as We'll as Old Must Wrestle With Money Prob, lem This Winter Harder
 Than Ever
By RICHARD IF. LUssIER

Fly RICHARD F. LUSSIER
 Nothing of a very excitable nature is on the boards for the city commission this week.
 It fs tho last week of the existence of the original three commissioner plan for next week there will be five Rich monds in the f1eld-fve gallant gentle men who will hold the tangled threads of the financial destlnies of Birmingham within their grasp.
 However, for the last week under three commissioners only routine matters will como up. as 1t is not anticipated that either Ward, Weatherly or Barber will start anything until they know who their bedfellows will be.
 Last week there was a slight rift in the clouds, Commissioners Arlie Bar Der continued to hold the limelight by bold strategic movements-such as dis missing four city detectives in one bunch. Commissioner Barber also induced his brother commissioners to pass reso- lution calling upon City Attorney Ro- maine Boyd for report concerning tho validity of the present telephone con tract. This report Is expected to be forth coming tomorrow.
 Another matter of moment during last week was the continued protest against the showing of moving pictures on Sum day. The protest at last Tuesdays meet ing was based on an old city ordinance which the city commissioners were urged to enforce. This. the commission, at that time. refused to do. and later announced that the ordinance In question would be repealed at tomorrow's meeting.
 The continued protest against the Sun day moving pictures injected that Issue in the city campaign and gave para mount importance to an issue which is regarded as minor in comparison to the vital needs of the city at the present time.
 MUST KNOW NEW MEN
 That explains why only matters of a routine nature will occupy the boards this week. The commission as presently con stituted cannot go ahead with any plans for the financial good of the city until they know who the new commissioners are-and their plans for the common veal
 As for alleviating the present financial woe of Birmingham there is little like ihood that much can be accomplished despite the many promises of the va r;ous contending candidates.
 The great question that naturally will come up, once the new five-commissioner plan is in full working order, will be the strengthening out of the education problem. Children going to the public schools at tho present are charged a slight fee--and for various reasons this particular phase of the local educational system does not sit well on the stom- achs of the majority of the citizens of Birmingham. They are demanding re- lief
 Other citizens--such as the poor, ma lisned property owners-are also asking for better police and fire protection. This Is something that the new system of civic government for Birmingham will of a. necessity have to contend with from the very start. Better street lighting and better streets are also imperatively de- manded by the impatient electorate and in all the outlook is for an exceedingly busy winter for the commission.
 LIVE WITHIN INCOME
 But there are drawbacks. Despite the many promises made, it Is quite doubt full if anything more will be accomplished with five commissioners than with tho present efficient trio. The legislature for curious reasons of it's own. passed n law whereby officeholders are forbidden to exceed in expenditures the income of the city.
 This law is bound to be very embar- rassing to the new commssioners-or for that matter to the present trio. As is very weil-known. the income of the city of 2irrnine ham through its archaic methods of taxation Is quite insufficient for it's needs Therefore, nothing can be done until the civic income is increased.
 And that brings out the real issue. In- creasing the income of the city will be the problem of the commissioners this winter.
 Just how that will be accomplished is unlnown-even to those intrusted with the job of overcoming the present flnan- cial handcaps of Birmingham.
 After all being a commissioner of a city with an empty treasury is not what it is cracked up to be.