The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-10
RESIGNATION .OF PH H|LL|PS
 ID BE le!',%'>FO
HaFTIso@ at ps. ?, . .s2$' scsasT Msm6s+ 0''t Det % 4 Intention To Quit yr Conditions
COMMISSIONER INTENDS TO DEMAND THIS ACTION
Statement Precipitated By
 Open Letter Interpreted By
 President As Impugning Motives Of New Head

Resignation from the Birmingham park board of M. P. Phillips is ex- pected by the boards chairman, City Commissioner w. L. Harrison, and ii it is not forthcoming will be de- manded.
 Commissioner Harrison maintains that MT. Phillips attacked him in an open letter to the newspapers, inn pugned the commissioners motives and practically announced that MT. Harrison could not function satis- factorily as chairman of the park board.
 At the organization meeting or the board, held in the city hall Thursday morning, MT. Harrison told MT. Philips he resented the state ments of the open letter.
 MT. Phillips replied that the state ments of his communication were not personal but he had nothing to apol- ogize for.
 When the meeting broke up. after a session in which there Was at times high tension, it did not appear that the question had been entirely settled. Friday morning at the city hall Commissioner Harrison gave out the following statement:
 Harrison's Statement.
 In regard to MT. NJ. P. Philips position on serving on the park board. and the conditions on which he will serve when the board is organ ized, he is quoted in a public state ment to the press of October 30, in part, as follows:
 I am unwilling to serve on this board unless it is organized and con- ducted entirely free from politics or anyone's political aspirations.
 CT am willing to give my time and services for the good of Birmingham, ( rfWsA 1Flaxa and services as an aid to any polltl- cal aspirations of any person.
 "'When the board is organized, 1t should be organized with a person as president who is not and does not expect to be in politics, and l would be willing to serve on board with such a president, but not otherwise. It was signed NJ P. Philips
 This statement is clearly and un- mistakably a direct thrust at me, cal culated to injLre me in the pubic mind and xinfluence the members of the park board against me Tor chairman and for himself as such. It was desperate attempt on his part to impute unworthy motives of my activities in behalf of this work and to infer that because 1 was elected as city commissioner by the votes or the people that l should not be placed as chairman of the board. and that I the board with such president.
 o c O
 Necessary For Harmony.
 T do not propose to have my mo- tives impugned or my interest in the park development of Birmingham questioned by a man who has made such a statement and threat against me. I have now been elected chalr- man of this board. and l shall give the position and the board tho best that is in me I have the highest re gard for every other member or the board and feel sure that we can CO., onerate and work in harmony to the fullest extent. but MT. Phillips atti- tude and public statement toward me makes is impossible for this board 10 have the harmony. cooperation ana tbe good spirit that should prevail in order to carry forward the work
 Tn conformity with his statement to the public and as man, l expect him to resign from the park board, and if he does not between now ana inc next meeting, l shall demand his resignation and make more com plete and fuller statement or MT Phillips position and attitude on this onestion from the beginning.
 MT. Phillips was called on the teie- phone Friday and asked if he hao anything to say regarding the new deyelopment. He replied that mum her of his friends had requested that he remain on the board, but he hao received no official notification of Mir Harrisons demand for his reslg- nation and, therefore, had nothing to say at this tune.