The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-19
BITTER FIGHT WAGED

BITTER FIGHT WAGED
 Throughout yesterday morning and aft ernoon a bitter fight was waged in the offices of the city commission by prop erty owners on Clairmont afenue regard ing that paving ordinance and other paw ing ordinances in that section Of the city At one time the city commission, bewildered by the oratory, passed the ordi- nances, only to have City Engineer Julian Kendrick call to their attention serious flaws which necessitated further consideration, and 1t was finally decided to adjourn the meet ing of the commissioners until o'clock Thursday afternoon, and to invite all property owners along Claremont ave nue, Thirty eighth, Fortieth, Forty-first and Forty-second streets, and Summit and Eleventh avenues, south, to attend the meeting and present their arguments why that part of the city of Birmingham should or should not be paved.
 WEATHERLY LEAVES ROOM
 The discussion of the paving ordinances missioner James Weatherly finally left the room with the statement
 q am going to vote for every ordinance to pave those streets and avenues on Mountain Terrace"
 Most of the property owners presen, yesterday afternoon favored the paving or certain streets in the Clairmont avenue section of the city. Other property own CTS opposed, and did so vigorously. In fact there was so much conversation go- ing on at one time that 1t was impossible to tell what was going on. Each property owner gathered unto himself an audience of at least one commissioner and pro- ceeded to crate on the grave ln1ustlca being done to him. If a property owner could not get hold of commissioner he either talked to himself or attempted to interest the newspaper boys present In the end everything was postponed to Thursday afternoon at o'clock when real fight is scheduled.
 PEVEARS STATEMENT
 Following is the statement of President Pevear regarding the stopping of servica on the Mountain Terrace car line:
 we have given notice to the public that we will not after July 31, 1916. oper- ate the Mountain Terrace line, extending from a function with the Highland ave nue line at Thirty-third street, alons Clairmont avenue and Forty-second street
 Tn connection herewith, we desire to say: .,,.
 .'The Mountain Terrace line was built in 1906. under a permit from the county Subsequently,, the corporate limits of the city were extended to embrace 1t.
 From the beginning-that is. for 8 period of 10 years-this line has oper- ated every year at a substantial loss, anu there is no prospect of improvement Fol the year 1915 the gross earnings were $475s, while the operating expenses, nxeo charges for interest and taxes. and de- preciation aggregated $s1S5 The total loss therefore for the year was $3427, and the gross earnings were less than 60 per cent of the operating expenses, fixed charges and depreciation.
 'The city Is now preparing to pave the street along which the line runs Enc cost of paving between the tracks and for IS inches on either side of the tracks will be levied against the company, Il its line is being operated when the paving is done The cost of paving and of the preparation to receive the paving will De approximately $24,OO0 No benefit will ac- crue to the company therefrom. The an nual interest charges on the paving cost would increase the annual loss on oper. ation more than 50 per cent, and the gross earnings after mourning the paving cost, would be materially less than hail the operating expenses fixed charges anc depreciation. N
 Tn times past we have. in prosecuting the development of the district, applied reasonable portion of the profits oi our profitable lines to the maintenance and operation of our losing lines. Btu the inroads of the jitneys, which taks the cream of our best lines, leave nc surplus to increase investments in losins operations, and we are. therefore, reluct antly compelled to abandon further oper alton of the line. 4
 Tn order, to protect our patrons on tht abandoned line, although in no way obliged to do so. we expect to arrange for the operation of a jitney bus in liel of the abandoned line as soon as tho L. c r,rrxrrrA I,