The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-03
TRUE STORY OF THE FINAL JOURNEY OF . COMMISSION BARK BEFORE ELECTION Starting With Fair Sky, Vessel Brought Through
 Small Squalls Safe
 ly to Port SMOKE ABOARD IN SPITE OF FACT THAT
 FIRE WAS ABSENT H. U. Sims Appears and Has Unique Experience While the Vessel Is Under
 Full Speed
By HUGH W. ROBERTS

The session of the city commission yes- terday was without incident serious or interesting enough materially to effec. the municipal campaign
 This result is traceable to two causes. taining punch was postponed for fur ther investigation and. in the second place, President Wards rugged insist ence that peace at all costs be main tained, prevented what threatened to be an open rupture between MT. Barber and Mr. Truss.
 So the good bark, as a result of as- tute guidance on the part of the man at the rudder, came to port. But for the fact that the date of the elecion is SO near, it is probable that The Age-Her- tomary story of the wreckage of the craft on the Rock of Petty Politics, which Is otherwise called the Snag of Personal Jealousy.
 SKY FAIR ENOUGH
 In the beginning the sky was fair enough. It is true that Dr. Dickinson, very early, floated in on the teeth of e iiiiOi 6dlC-Dul tHC 6dlcy dlLSI plON ing bit about the Tidewater franchise, was suffered to die in a solmn sough Thereafter however the man at the wheel, proceeding as if fearful lest every wave concealed a mine, lest every speck was q periscope, every passenger a Ger man spy, and every shadow an enemy aircraft succeeded in completing very successful journey
 And but for the dispute of two Of .he seamen, who seemed to be possessed of an ancient and malodorous grudge rather than melted by sharp and open enmity, the voyage would have been. perhaps, without epochal incident. Such con- summation would have been more pleas ing to Skipper Ward.
 Incidentally, the bark will not again put to sea until after the election. On it's next trip 1t will probably carry cargo of accomplished fact.
 MUCH SMOKE ABOARD
 There was a great deal of smoke aboard even if fire was missing.
 It all came about in this wise:
 Skipper Ward said something about a contract perpetuating the Sunday sing ing carnival Boatswain Hornady nodded approval. Coxswain Barber, however, was not so readily to be appeased. He said:
 T would like to make little speech on that subject"
 Whereupon, all other commissioners. smiling in cynical tolerance, reached into hip-pockets for clay pipes. Wards TO- bacco was first aflame. Truss, a second later. was also putting away-a little scornful, it seemed Hornady, not to be outdone, with cat-like tread, ambled about the chamber until T. U. Walters satisfied his want. The gift was Cremo, which later emitted cloud like that emanating from tar kiln.
 Someone, almost stifled, moaned for a former memDer of the crew. As a mat ter of fact. there came whisper, "Oh, that 'Smokeless Jim were here!"
 Then, with the atmosphere in its cus- tomary murky state, MT. Barber began his speech. He spoke of the beauty and charm of music, how it had power to quiet the heathens breast. or force Cerberus to forget the portal that ie guarded.
 GIVES THE SOLUTION
 The spectators wondered: Why the speech?' And then came the answer In the words of Barber: II am confident" :" he exclaimed. that to music Is due in great part the smooth and effective en- forcement of criminal law in BirminE- ham,
 It was an idyllic reference, an adroit expression of the speakers conviction that he had discharged with fine credit his patriotic assignment in the conduct of municipal affairs. It might have been the first campaign speech of the meet ing. Shortly following It's delivery. Bar Der charged that an effusion of Truss was a campaign speech.
 But everybody was in high good humor.