The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-06
FIRE EQU|PMEN
 BOND ISSUE ASKED TO CUT INSURANCE
CIoe Tells Of Approved Plans For Expansion Of His
 Departmnt

Lower fire insurance rates for all of Birmingham are promised by the Fire Underwri5ers' association if the city will install two additional fire stations, Commissioner ". B. Cloe stated to the conference of city com missioners held in the city hall Fri day morning
 Mir. Cloe proposes that the city in- stall two new stations and rebuild two old ones, one of the latter hav- ing already been provided for through the sale of, the Eighth avenue station Friday shortly before the morning session of the con ference began.
 Summarized, MT. Cloe's proposition Is this: That Birmingham issue bonds In the sum of $100,000 to provide two additional bumpers for the two new stations; rebuil the Avondale and Eighth avenue stations and reno vate No. 2 station.
 Other matters the bond issue will cover Is the installation of the fire departments own paint shop, where thousands of dollars can be saved. Other matters of minor importance for improvements and methods of up- keep constitute the remainder of the issue.
 If the bond issue goes through, and the commissioners all approve the plan, the department will then be able more substantially to raise the pay of the men of the fire and police departments than would otherwise pc the case and at the same time add 30 additional firemen and 50 police men.
 Twenty four of the new firemen would be placed, eight in each Of the new stations and a crew for the tower, the part of the apparatus that had to be left behind when the Swift plant burned for lack of men to handle 1t.
 Friday morning the old fire station on Eighth avenue near Tenth street was sold for $7,000. This money Will be used to build a modern bungalow station on the corner of the 40-aere park recently purchased by the city. Its location will be Eighth avenue and Eighth street. The Vaughan Realty company handled the transac- ton. By this sale Mir. Cloe has made possible a new and modern station with practically no cost to the city. The old station was a two story brick building. The engine house will remain in use until the new structure is put up.
 O O o
 PInu New AvOndale Station.
 If the bond issue is approved at an election to be held to pass on 1t and other Improvements, new bungalow type station will be built at AVonoale on the present station site.
 General renovation of the No. 2 station, Avenue D and Nineteenth street, where the present repair shop is located, is contemplated. At this plant the paint shop will be in- stalled.
 One of the new stations will be In Elyton. Not long before his death R. S. Munger promised the city a site for the new station there. FIT day morning MT. Cloe took the mat, ter up with Mrs. Munger. She told him. MT. Cloe said, that her late hus- band had discussed the matter with her and that she would take 1t up with her sonE This station, too, when built will be of the bungalow tyne. somewhat on the order of the new station in North Birmingham. It will have one of the new $l4,OOO fully equipped bumpers which Will be bought if the bond issue IS ap- proved.
 The other new station Is slated for Iakeview where 1t Is said to be very much needed. It's location will be in the vicinity of lower Highland and Clairmont avenues. It, too, will be of the bungalow type and will De the home of one of the new bumpers. MT. Cloe said there was enough equipment on hand to furnish the new stations satisfactorily. Each or the new bumpers will have with It's equipment 2,OOO feet of hose.
 Mir Cloe put men to work aidlng Chief J. l.. Akin in compiling the estimates Friday. New stations Will cost in the neighborhood of $12,000 each. New bumpers will cost Sl4,Ooo each. Remodeling of one and re- building of another station will cost in the vicinity of s22,000. The paint shop. repairs to another station and several other improvements to be made make up the needed s100,0O0 tor which 1t Is proposed to issue bonds.
 The commission heard MT. Cloes proposition, approved 1t and the mak- ing of estimates Is now going Tor ward. It was said at the city nall the tax payers by voting for this bond issue would make the money back in one year at profit, consid- ering the whole city, on reduced ire isurance output alone.