The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-12
Grand Jury Scores the City Officials in Charge
 Of Streets and Roads
tContinued from Page Fiveo

be dangerous to the safety of the pub lie. In a great numper of places we find that the tracks of the railway and railroad lines are above the sur face of the streets, and that. in many places. even the crossties are above the surface of the streets. After view. ing these streets we thought it ex- pedient to summon before us a num- Der of witnesses from all sections of the city. Among these witnesses were large numbers of drivers in the fire departments. From this testimony we find that 1t Is almost impossible to drive these wagons a< the speed they should be driven. on 8 number of these streets We find that the fire appa- ratus is being damaged and rendered unserviceable on account of this con dition of the streetA and. In number of instances the firemen have been unable to reach the fires with their apparatus. and in this event have been compelled to carry the chemical outfitsyv hand In one instance. one of the fire apparatus begged up in such manner that 1t required about twelve hours labor to get it out of the mire. In another instance three houses were burned on account of the departments being unable to reach 1 them: and in another case two houses
 
 | tions From the testimony of several physicians we find that. in some parts ! of the city. they are unable to drive 1 their cars five or six blocks of their patients residences. In other cases. | funeral processions have been unable l to reach the cemetery at Pratt City with cars. while in other cases, the people could not use the street and have gone to using the sidewalk with vehicles In Vivian.
 l We find that it is the duty of the plumbing Inspector to look after and | inspect all street excavations. Out of l 6.340 permits issued for excavations. i we find from the testimony that there has not been a single arrest made. or <, forfeiture had, for leaving these ditches in bad condition We would recommend that the final inspection Of l these excavations n the streets be i placed under the jurisdiction of the ! police department of the city This l would give a check of one department against another
 We also find that q number of pieces 1 or road machinery and other equip l ment have been disposed of by the l city. We find from the testimony o1 expert rf- livery men that one oi 1 these machines was reported sold fol i just srrall amount over the cost O l renair. One of these machines wa. T sold to a contractor for s40o. and he in turn. rented the same machine t' i another contractor for three month! at the rate of $500 per month. Thi
 same contractor has this machine fl service on one Of his jobs in the cit, Of Birmingham, and is doing goo' t work with it.
 We find that the City of Birmingham
 has sold tho following eouinment;
 detailed report of the sales of roa equipment by the city during the year of 1917 to 1920 here follows. which to tailed $6.7T0.70. while purchases of nev
 equipment for the same period show a total of $5S.404.91.
 It will be seen from these report - that the City has purchased sixty seven mules. at cost of $23,150: an } sold thirty mules. receiving $3.653.7 for same.
 We find that the City has almost. , mot entirely. abandoned the use of tn , machinery in the maintenance of th
 streets and highways. and is usin