The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-09

the city board, but declared he was overruled because he was the only man with street experience. He said he has not envied Mir. Brown since. The street department, he said, has been characterized as the graveyard of commissioners.
 Visions of a huge reducing plant for garbage were drawn by Mir. Bur russ, who smiled as he said the nov ices in the race amused him with the magic solutions. Garbage should be moved twice a week during the pe- riod from May to November 1, he said. A modern system of storm and sanitary sewers should be worked out in the next year. he declared.
 He urged that public officials be placed in the 1imelight and advocat- ed open conferences with nothing be hind closed doors.
 Community Spirit
 J. Ellis Brown urged the develop ment of community spirit and told how he fought the utilities bill and raises in street car fare. and tele- phone rates. He characterized the utilities act as an "abominable meas ure which should be repealed" A bitter attack was made on the policy of the American Telephone and Tele- graph company in connection with the Southern Bell Telephone company. MT. Brown declared the larger com pany was bleeding the Southern Bell, which is in turn bleeding the people.
 John R. Hornady, commissioner of health and education, spoke of the work in which he had helped In creased pay for teachers, establish ment of huge school building pro- grammes and elimination of the ty- phoid evil were concrete examples of his achievement, MT. Hornady stated.
 Moral Community
 He said he resented the statement that Birmingham was one of the worst towns in the country morally, saying he believed this to be one of the most moral communities of the United States.
 MT. Hornady declared that the people should not fire a man when that man was doing god work. Police Department Conditions in any city are what tIe jurors and public opinion make them, John H. Tay Tor. commissioner of pub flic safety, declared in answering at tacks on his work. He stated that his department was making de- termined fight against social deseass, although being fought at every turn. The city cannot be cleaned by charts, however, he said.
 With 127 men in the police depart ment when he took charge, there are now 1S0 on the city payrolls, MT Taylor stated. The fire department and the police department are in tke highest state of efficiency MT Fay Tor declared.
 With the completion of installing the new fire alarm system a de- crease in fire insurance rates will he granted Birmingham which will an nually amount to the cost of the new fire station, he said. He pointed to the 12-hour shift. the insurance feature and full time while off when injured in line of duty as concrete benefits to the firemen. The city also pays their hospital bills, he said. Shingle Roofs Ninety per cent of the fires in Bir- mingham start from shingle roofs. Mir Taylor asserted. None of the ] cities with which we are compared in number of fires have shingle roofs. Fire losses thus far in 1921 are 125a per cent below those of the | year before, or a reduction of $10O- | 900.
 He said he was asked to make the 1 jail comfortable and had spent Sj ! 700 on one room. Tub and shower | baths and frosted windows wef smashed in by prisoners when they were installed. he said. He declared that it was his impression that when | people are in jail they are not as ! sociated with the highest type oi l citizenship The rest of his record J is on the minutes at the city hall, he
 stated, inviting every citizen to ex- amine it.
 | Mrs. H. H. Shell declared citizen. | of Birmingham should see that vics ! conditions are elimated in the city She asked that Birmingham be made | safe for the young people. She tolt of visiting various welfare institl. tions of the city and said corrective provisions should be made. Belton Higgins presided at ths meeting, held under the auspices q | the Gate City Civic club.