The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-09
M MISS MEET
 HEAR ADDRESSES FOR MAYOR RULE
Judge Edgar Allen DeIiv- CTS Keynote Speech
 At Pratt City

Six mass meetings Friday night in behalf of the movement for a modified mayor-aldermanic form of government drew fair-sized audiences at East Bir- mingham, North Birmingham, Pratt City, Wylam, Avondale and Gate City. At Pratt City, an audience of 300 per sons approved the proposed change by a rising vote after spirited addresses had been delivered by Judge Edgar AL len and Ii. K. Bowen.
 An open air meeting in WyIam was addressed by William Vaughn and J. R. Stul, after which the 150 persons present went on record as unanimously faVoring the change. h
 Clarence Mullins, weIl-known at- torney, was the principal speaker at q meeting held in East Birmingham. He said They are trying to. o.defend the present system at city hall As far as can be ascertained the only system in effect-is | stealing system, which is so highly perfected that two audits of the books failed to find shortages that had been existing for many months"
 w. R. Crumley, addressing a small gathering in the AvOndale park, de- liyered a heated attack on what he termed s'our present autOcratic form of gOvernmentp He also scored the ''di- vided authority" of the five eommis- siOners and their eagerness t6 evade responsibility for things happening in departments other than their own.
 Open Air Rally
 Major ]. T. McEwen and w. c. Irby were the speakers at an open air meet ing in North Birmingham, while w. F. Spencer and w.. o. Davis demanded that commission control be abolished in speeches at . rally of voters in Gate City.
 Petitions calling fsa referendum on the proposed mayoF-aldermanic ordi- nance were circulated at all six meet ings. Hunter Armstrong, temporary campaign chairman, made an automo- bile tour of the various meeting places and estimated the total attendance at more than 1,000. He said meetings would De held every night next week.
 A scheduled meeting at East Lake was postponed due to the absence of l Judge Horace c. Wilkinson, who was to have been the principal speaker.
 The address delivered at Pratt City by Judge Allen was hailed by leaders as the keynote speech of the campaign. It outlined the contentious of the alder manic forces and drew the lines on which the issues are to be fought out. ] The judge steered, clear of personalities, eonfining himself to discussion. of com mission government, as compared with l the proposed modified smayor.ait. srinaniC 1 governmental structure.
 Allen Speaks
 The issue" Judge Allen asserted ''is not one of men, but of government It Is the commission plan on one side and the mayor and aldermen plan on the other. In my judgment, it is auto cratic government arrayed against rep resentative government.
 The city as whole has no represen. tatiOn in commission form of govern ment. All the commissioners may be !, elected, from one -sectionl of the city. The city has DO head, but is divided into five parts Under q recent legisla- tive act, 1t will be divided into three parts if commission control continues after next year. The head of one de. partment has charge of his particular l department and is not looking after the city as whole.
 "A man canpot maintain q household with five wives. or three either, each
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