The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-23
Ward Says There Is Little Kicking and Thinks Or
 dinance Will Hold
TEST TO BEGIN IN
 COURTS THIS WEEK
Annual Expense of Carrying Out New Ordinance Is Estimated By the Officials At About
 $2O,OOO

LHdI the uquOr inspection ordinance will show a clear profit of s136,OOO annually if it is held to be constitutional by the courts of the state was the opinion of the city commissioners yesterday.
 Commissioner Ward announced yester- day that the cost of enforcing the liquor inspection ordinance was about S70 a day, or $20OO0 annually, including the salaries of all inspectors and the cost of rents of various inspection depots and cost of stamps. Under the estimate of Commis- sioner Ward, the city anticipates 1000 in- spections daily, or $500 in revenue from the new ordinance. This means $90OO a week, or $1520OO year. Subtracting the cost of operation, estimated at $20,000, this would give the city of Birmingham a clear profit of S136,OOO.
 ABOUT $500 PER DAY
 Although the figures were not available last night for the second days inspec- tioh, it was stated that they would equal Mondays receipts, or about $500 and this sum would increase later in the week.
 At the city hall it was stated yester- day that no fear was felt that the liquor inspection ordinance would fail as a rev. enue producer. It was stated that while the inspections at the present time showed a sharp falling off from the liquor ship ments received in past weeks at the ex- press offices, this was in part due to the fact that thousands of persons had or dered their supplies of liquors ahead in order to avoid paying the inspection fee this week. It was also pointed out that many persons were now ordering their liquors through Irondale, Oxmoor and Bessemer hoping thus to avoid paying the inspection fee. However, if the law is declared constitutional and the city officials are very emphatic in claiming that it will be these small municipalities will at once enact ordinances similar to that of Birmingham, which will then force unpatriotic citizens to pay 50 cents fee no matter where they receive their liquors
 ''While shipments may be below normal at the present time.' said Commissioner Ward, ''conditions will be adjusted with in the next few days and the liquor in- spection law will prove success.
 FAIR AND JUST LAW
 VII the courts as the liquor inspection or dinance is a fair and just law. There is no one kicking against it. The people that buy liquors do not mind having an additional 50 cents to get their supply; in fact, I am told they rather look with favor on it, as 1t makes them feel that they are con- tributing directly to the financial relief of the city. The people who object to the present liquor inspection law are the people who will object to any sort of regulation and laws, and they rep resent a very small minority in Bir- mingham.
 "We never at any time estimated over 1000 inspections a day with re- turn of $500. I am positive that the inspections will average over our es- inmates, which will mean that the law is a success and an ordinance that the patriotic citizens of the city should be proud to have on its books"
 Yesterday afternoon Walker Percy, attorney for the R. M. Rose company of Chattanooga, Tenn, served notice on City Attorney M. M. Ullman that he would file bill of injunction against the city in the state court by Friday owing to the objection of City
 
 constitutionality of the liquor ordi- nance in the federal courts MT. Percy agreed to have his bill tried on it's merits before the state courts.
 Mir Ullman yesterday received copy of the injunction proceedings that will be filed by Mr Percy. A copy was also sent to Chattanooga to be sworn to by the complainants and immediately upon it's being received and attested it will be filed. Judges William ID, Fort, H. A. Sharpe and c. B. Smith will very likely be chosen to hear the bill, which sets out that the operation of the liquor inspection nullifies certain sec tions of the state prohibition law and also works a burden on interstate com merce.
 Te constitutionality of the liquor in- spection law will be fought out In the state courts without the introduction of legal technicalities, according to City Attorney Ullman, and quick and favorable decision is anticipated by the city