The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-22
plan CHE OK
To TAKE 7 O.
WEEKS Time.
Commissioners to Confer
With Chamber of Com
merce on Proposal to
Have Auditorium Plans
Checked Up

Two weeks maximum time VIII
be required for checking of the audi.
forum plans by an expert archi.
tect, O. L. Bum, general manager OF
the Chamber of Commerce, will ad.
wise the city commission by letter
Monday, Mr.. Bum said Sunday
night. This information was gained
by the chamber after consultation
with several architects.
Members of the commission will
confer Monday morning upon the
proposal of the Chamber of Com
merce to have the plans and specifi-
cations checked, made Friday morn.
ing at a conference and in a letter
sent to the city hall late Friday after
noon. No action was taken Saturday
because of the absence from Bir-
mingham of Commissioner w. G
Harrison.
Unless a majority of the board
votes in formal session to call for
new bids. execution of the contract
with d. e. Manasco, building pro-
moter. voted him January IL by Com
missioners D. E. McLendon, w. e
Dickson, w. B. Cloe and Mrs. Mary
Echols, can be no longer held up, 1t
is believed. Present status of the
auditorium situation as regards
contract is that the bid of MIR
Manasco for the building enclosed
$1s1,0 has been accepted and con
tract awarded to him. Signing of the
contract is compulsory upon the pres
/ ident of the commission after a ma
| jority awarded 1t, it Is said.
Decision to assent to the Chamber
of Commerce proposal must be fol-
lowed by a vote of the commission
to nullify their action of 10 days ago
when they voted to award the con-
tract to Manasco, after Commissioner
Harrison made strong protest
against the award to man whom
he did not know as contractor. Mr.
Harrison voted against the accep-
lance of Manassas bid.
One loophole is left the commission,
If Mr.. Manasco fails to make bond
satisfactory to the city, they can can
Gel the contract But the Virginia
Bridge and Iron company. slated to
do structural steel work under
Manasco, and Charles w. Hall, con-
tractor, who will get the sub
contract for other features of Manas-
co.'s job, can without doubt make
satisfactory bond, qualified persons
point out. Even this action would
have to be taken in formal session
OF the commission.
Members in Bad Light
Other observers point out that II
the commission grants the request of
the Chamber of Commerce, the four
members who voted to award the
contract to Manasco will be placed in
the light of having acted too hastily.
Harrison's words of caution are re-
called by city hall observers, who re-
member that the commissioner OF
public properties, who will have the
auditorium in charge after its COM
pletion, urged that due consideration
to letting the contract be given.
When the vote was taken. however.
Commissioner w. E. Dickson, who
has charge of constructing the audi
forum, as commissioner of public i'm
provement, declared that too much
time had already been wasted and
that he wanted to see work begun
other commissioners voting to award
the contract to Manasco took the
same view.
Mrs. Mary Echols is the only men,
her of the commission who has come
out supporting the Chamber of Conn
merce proposal. Commi ssioners Cioe,
McLendon and Dickson have COM
mented but little on the proposition,