The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-24
bURRUSS SAYS HE.
 WAS KEPT IN DARK. ABOUT AUDITORIUM.
Learned More About It at the Chamber of Commerce Meeting Than From the
 City Commissioners

No steps were taken yesterday toward transferring the authority of supervision over the city's new $500,000 auditorium from Commits sioner J. Ellis Brown to Commis- sioner Henry Page Burruss.
 Commissioner Burruss reiterated his statement of Monday that if the commission had intended turning the matter of building over to him, he had heard nothing of it until the matter was brought to the attention of the board by Mrs. Solon Jacobs inquiry.
 Commissioners Barrett and Brown both said that 1t has been under stood all along that as soon as actual construction work was begun the matter was to be turned over to Com missioner Burruss' department.
 In view of the fact that have not been consulted by the board in mak- ing preliminary plans fer the build ing, and consequently know little about what has been done, I should really be glad if it were not neces- sary for me to take charge of the supervision of the york; Commits sioner Burruss said; T am certanly not seeking any glory, but if the law places the work In my department, then of course I am going to push forward the construction of the audi torium as rapidly as possible,
 Was Much Surprised
 T was very much surprised to read the statements of Dr. Barrett and Commissioner Brown in which they state that It was understood 1 was to have charge of the actual construction of the building. It seems to me the preliminary plans and ar arrangements with the architects are part of the construction of the build ing.
 "Of course, l shall be at a dsad vantage when l begin the supervi- sion of the building, because unlike Commissioner Brown, l have not had the opportunity of visiting the audi toriums of other cities. do not Ques- tion. though, the ability of the archi- tects who have been chosen, and am sure they were laying plans for as good building as could be construct ed for the money.
 ''I am making no strenuous efforts to get them to turn over the matter to me, but when they do so. l shall see that the best interests of the public are looked after, which con slider the matter of supreme import ance in this question
 A Misunderstanding
 T feel that the whole thing arouse out of misunderstanding upon the part of the members of the commits sion as to the law. I frankly con fess that l thought the matter should come under Commi issioner Browns department until Mrs. Jacobs brought the question to our attention. and believed the other commissioners thought the same thing. l may say, by the way, that there is some jusu- fIcation for confusion as to the exact meaning of all the clauses of the act creating the five-commi ssion Tor government for the city.
 Tt seems to me the whole matter should be made clear to the public do not believe the commission had any intention of turning over the matter to me. The question has not been handled by the commission as whole except in the large. I am sure the details have been handled by the auditorium committee, and although l am commi ssioner of public im- provement I was not appointed a member of that committee. I have been kept in ignorance as to what has been going on. I really learned more about the plans for the auditorium from an address yesterday made by J. Frank Rushton before luncheon i of the Chamber of Commerce than from the commission.
 AS soon as the matter is definitely turned over to me, l shall strive to stop the delay in constructing the building, and cooperate with the commission and the auditorium in whatever way calculated to take care of the interests of the public In the question"