The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-24
CITY COMMISSION
DEFERS ACTION ON
|! SINGLE ORDINANCE
Barber Charged With Hav-
ing Prejudged the Issue
by George Estes
FATHER AND SON TAKE
SIDES ON THE ISSUE
Fire Insurance Men Suggest Repeal
of Ordinance Would Mean Restor-
alton of Is Per Cent
Penalty

The city commissioners, after listening
to arguments, pro and con, regarding the
anti-shingle ordinance all day, with the
exception of a three-hour adjournment at
noon, decided to defer action until a later
date. A crowd which taxed the capacity
OF the council chamber was on hand at
o'clock yesterday morning to go into
the discussion for and against the pres
ent ordinance, which prohibits the use
of wooden shingles. Masses of data nu-
merous kilograms from insurance COM
panies operating in Birmingham, and
heated arguments were presented to the
commissioners by a great many citizens
present.
A hush fell over the crowd when George
Estes, an insurance man, told Commits
sioner Barber that in his opinion he was
unfit to sit upon the case before the COM
missioners on account of having pre-
judged the ISSUE" Mr.. Barber replied that
he had entered the controversy with an
open mind Wednesday a week ago and
that at this meeting he was convinced
that the single roof was not as bad as
it had been pictured, and should be al
lowed to be used by the property. owners.
One of the most unusual features of
the meeting was the attitude of father
and son, each on the opposite side, and
each earnestly pleading for his cause.
These were George Estes, the father, and
Thornton Estes. the son. George Estes
contested the changing of the present
ordinance, while Thornton Estes, a lun-
herman, advocated the repeating or
amending of the present ordinance 10
allow the use of shingles.
SIX-FOOT RING
Mr.. Estes and son argued with one
another throughout the morning session
~ te,r;<~
said that he thought the father and son
should be appointed as a committee Of
two to settle the question. ut might be
good idea to pair them off into six
foot ring and settle the NATTER, said
Mr.. Ward amid laughter from the crowd.
George Estes, R. F. Manly, Charley
Terry, Prentiss Reid, John Leedy and
others spoke for the Insurance people.
A. G. T. Moore, J. H. Eddy, Thornton
Estes. Roy Huffman, R. M. Jenkins and
others voiced their opinions for the wood
en- shingle.
Many of the statistics of Commissioner
Barber on the question of insurance rates
and profits were attacked by the insur-
ance people. 1t was intimated that the
Is per cent penalty would be restored if
the commissioners repealed the present
ordinance. The insurance people, when
asked by Commissioner Weatherly If they
would object to the use of a wooden
shingle treated with fire retarding
paint, stated that they would not, pro-
vided the single was really a fire re-
tardent.
Chief Middleton testified that 65 per cent
of the fires in Birmingham were caused
by sparks on wooden single roofs. He
said that it was not necessary to place
firemen around building on fire with a
composition roof on account of the lack
of sparks. Prentiss Reid, of the South
ern Adjusters association. said that there
were many elements that made the shin
gle roof in Birmingham a greater hazard
than elsewhere. He spoke of the gases
from the furnaces as being of corrosive
nature and aided in making the roofs
more hazardous as a fire risk.
The whole issue resolved itself into
an issue as to whether or not single
properly treated will retard fire. 1t seemed
that if this fact can be proven the use
Of shingles properly treated may be al
lowed. 1t is not thought any action will
be taken by the commission for some
time