The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-28
THREE MEMBERSOF CITY COMMISSION WILL OFFER AGAIN Ward and Weatherly Will Retire With Close of
 Present Terms THREE CANDIDATES TO RUN ON RECORDS Hornady, Truss and Barber Certain to Be in the Race This Fall.
 Platforms Based on
 Accomplishments
Fly REUBEN A. LEWIS

clared positively yesterday that he would not offer for reelection next November. James Weatherly will have resigned be- fore the campaign starts. But J. D. Truss. commissioner of public improve ments, J. R. Hornady, commissioner of health and education, and Arlie Barber, commissioner of public safety, will toss their hats into the ring, with the firing of the first gun, and will gradually bring their heavy artillery into play, with the battle cry of "Efficiency and Accom- plishment'
 George B. Ward having withdrawn from the presidency, there doubtless will
 be lively scramble for the head of the
 commission. Arlie Barber while frankly
 admitting that he will offer for re-elec- ton for one of the places on the board,
 has not stated that he would run for the
 presidency
 The three commissioners who will run for reelection will point to their records and urge that they be permitted to con- tinue their constructive efforts. MT. Hor nady will point with considerable pride to the successful fight that the health department waged against typhoid; the passage of the 3-mill tax state amend ment, and probably to the levying of a special 3-mill school tax for Jefferson county. In addition, he will mention the extension of the health department; the record breaking number of sanitary con- nections and other health records that the city has made since he directed the work.
 MUCH PAVING DONE MT Truss will point to the record of his department. A vast amount of paw ing has been laid since he supervised the work. Despite the lack of funds to prop erly provide for the work, he will show that the roads have been kept in better condition than was to have been expected under the conditions imposed by the fi- nancial stringency He will insist that the commission ought to have a trained engineer to counsel on all it's projects. He will champion the rights of the sub-
 urbs for representation. Perhaps no commissioner will urge his past record with greater vehemency than Arlie Barber, commissioner of pub lie safety. During his term of office he has appealed to his associates to en- act ''pletheora" of corrective legisla- 1 ton. He will cite the many resolutions | he proposed, and in which he has utmost ! faith that the ills of the city would have been made well if they had been adopted. I Extension of the city limits, curbing the
 movies prohibiting "bucket shops put 1 ting the city into the oil business, install | lation of a municipal automatic telephone | exchange, and kindred resolutions, all aof 1 these will be brought into the calcium l to show that he has been faithful to his l pledges.
 | With the battle cry of accomplish
 ments and efficiency" the three commits sioners will ask that they be returned l to office.
 There is no danger that Ward or 1 Weatherly will be forced back into the ! political arena by the pleas of their supporters and partisans. MT. Ward is retiring to provide for the years to come | He stated yesterday that this object | would impel him to enter business life again. It is not a question of re-elec- l ticn, for the president of the commission | is confident that he could be returned 1 to power.
 IMPOSSIBLE TO SAVE The real reason, as stated by MT. Ward | is that it is impossible to hold public office and to save money. He cows that l he had just as much 20 years ago as he now has. The expenses of campaigns. the heavy demands made upon a public official by charity and by society, linked | with other circumstances, make it inn possible for accumulation.
 l While the little upheaval between the president and Commissioner Barber was
 irresponsible for the announcement that
 he would not offer for reelection. MT. Ward states that he had reached the de cision several months prior to that, and the ''spat" merely sped it.
 l James Weatherly will be the first of l the commissioners to retire. The via-
 duct is now out of the way. While all
 the contracts have not been executed, every agreement has been reached. The waterworks valuations are now being tcompiled, and it is believed that some decision will be reached before March 1. At all events. it seems that the matters will be adjusted before April 1. When 1 these two problems are solved. MT. Weatherly will be willing to retire to private life.
 As to whom the commission will ap- point to replace the commissioner of public utilities when he quits. there is much speculation.
 Perhaps 20 prominent men have been mentioned for the post. but the commis- sion Is not united behind any citizen.
 The three commissioners. who will rally
 behind he cry of Accomplishment and
 Efficiency" are opposed to a long cam paign, but are preparing for tbe fight
 that is before them next summer and