The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-01
DIRECTORS WANT CIJLLEY TO QUIT
 ASBUREAUH HEAD
Mrs. Echols Knew Atti-
 tude Before Commission J Met Bowie Declares

{ It is the view of the executive com mitee of the family service organiza- ton that the resignation of Fred A. CuIley as director of the city welfare department, which was submitted to the city commission Thursday. and held in abeyance. should be accepted, ac- cording to Sidney J. Bowie. one of the members.
 Mir. Bowie revealed that Mrs. Mary Echols, commissioner in direct charge of the department, was appraised of the commiteet's attitude at a meeting in her office late Wednesday, attended by the entire executive committed, com posed of himself, Joseph H. Loveman, Sam Blach and Dr. ". R. Hendrix. The committees view, however, was not passed on to the commission at it's call ed meeting.
 After going over the report of ". c. Caldwell, the auditor, we discussed the situation and decided 1t would be best for Mir. Culley to retire" Mir. Bowie said. We planned to first give him an opportunity to resign before re- questirg removal steps. We also de- cided that a number of changes in the system in the department should be carried out, as suggested by the anditor."
 CulIey Resigns
 The Age Herald, in it's Thursday edi- tions, told of the meeting in Mrs. Ech- Ols' office and of the attitude adopted by the executive committee. On read ing the story Thursday morning, Mir. CulIey handed his resignation to Mrs. Echols fin order to relieve her of any embarfassment." She placed the resig- nation before the commission without Recommendation, and after a lengthy discussion, during which one member demanded to know the source of the re- port that Culley s retirement was de- sired, voted to defer action until next Tuesdays regular meeting. Meanwhile. the members will study Auditor Cald- wells report, which. pointed out various needed changes in the system and re- vealed q petty cSsh discrepancy of $104.7. This sum- Mir. Gulley told Mrs. Echols, had been e&pended in the prop CT manner and would be accounted for in his monthly report.
 Lack Of Harmony
 Caldwell's report said further: That managing officer (Culleyl and employees, so far as I have seen, appear to carry on their duties as relate to welfare work properly, though it comes to my attention that there is considerable suspicion on the part of some, and lack of harmony, that must, to some degree, prevent effectual and complete functioning of the Organiza- tion,"
 The report, as announced previously in The Age-Herald, showed that all city and community chest funds were ac- counted for. Audit of the books was orr dered by the family service organization during Mrs. Echols absence in New York. The action followed repeated re- ports of friction and laxity in the de- partment, some of which had been called to Mrs. EchOrs attention before her departure.
 Mrs. Echols read excerpts from the huditor's report and announced that his detailed findings would be shown to any interested citizen 0n application. She told of the feeling existing in the de pertinent and said it probably was due to the numerous rulnors that had been current.
 Action Deferred
 Commissioner Dickson moved to defer action on Culley's resignation until the auditors findings could be studied. He said it might have been that Culley re- signed purely through loyalty" Com: missioner Harrison said something about the "big headlines in the morning paper" and expressed the belief that lection should be postponed. President AIcLendon voiced confidence in Culley ssuntil it Is proved he should be re- moved" and promised to follow Mrs, Ech0l's reeOmmendatio tions, adding, howl ever, that he had not always received similar treatment Mrs. BchoIs was asked to call a further meeting of the family service executive committee and have Auditor Caldwell explain his re- port.
 Mir. Culley's letter of resignation fol- lows:
 Birmingham. Ala. July s1, 1924.