The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-09
COUNTIES ACTION IPSEIS PROGRA AM
 FOR lSI AVENUE
FlatIy Refuses 10 Pave But IS Feet On Each
 Side Of Street

The board of revenue Tuesday aft ernoon exploded bomb in the First avenue improvement program by fiatly refusing to pave but 16 feet on each side of the street car tracks.
 This would leave wide strip pn- paved on each side, Members Of the city commission, who met with the board. declared this would be unsatis- factroy. President D. E. McLendon openly asserted the decision constituted breach of faith.
 sThe county board" he said, pledged itself to pave this avenue as soon as fine city and the street railway com pany were ready with their plans. Nothing was said about leaving an un- mayed strip and the Impression went ont that the entire width would be mayed. The boards action is certain to arouse the indignation of Bast Lake citizens, and I feel that the board should carry out the spirit of the orig ina1 agreement"
 Commission members pointed out to the county officials that the Birming- ham Electric company would not be bound by its recent agreement to pave between it's tracks unless the entire area on each side were paved simulta- neously.
 The boards action leaves the im- provement project ''up in the air. with little indication that a majority of its members will agree to reconsideration.
 Thomas E. Huey was the only mem Der who stood firm for paving the ell- tire strip on each side of the tracks He argued that this impkessi0n had been given the public and that 1t was incumbent on the board to ''come through"
 D. c. Ball, board president, proposed to pave only 20-fOot strip-1O feet on each side. Jerry Gwinn, Lacey Ed- mondson and w. B. Copeland called for 30 feet, although Gwinn admitted at the outset of the session that he felt the county should ''gO ahead and pave the entire width."
 Board members sought to justify their action by citing state law which re- .quires the county to maintain q ''suf- Il ficient highway" Ball, Edmondson, Gwinn and Copeland said 30-foot strip would be sufficient, with Huey insisting that the entire width should be paved.
 All members of the city commission were bitterly disappointed at the boards attitude. They now fear that another deadlock over. the project may develop
 Efforts will be at once put under way to persuade the county board to re lent, and in such move the city au thorities are certain to have strong support from the East Lake citizen, who have been fighting for improve ment of First avenue for severa years. cE
 Some members of the commission, in cluding President McLendon and W E. Dickson, discussed the adyisability of plan by which, the city would dC the rest of the work and assess thu cost against property owners They re alized, they said, that the public woll( not be willing for strips on both sideI of the car tracks to be left unpaVed but seriously doubted if it would b, legal for the city to do the work, in asmuch as First avenue is part of { state highway.
 Numbers of East Lakers, after learn ing of the action taken, declared Tues day night that appropriate steps woul' be taken quickly. There was talk O ' an early mass meeting of citizens wh live along the aS'enue between Forty first street and East Lake.
 President McLepdon said he felt tn II tC0nelmned On Page TwOl