The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-22
REPORTS REVEAL
 INSIDE FACTS ON VIADUCT PLAN
Chamber Of Commerce Hopes For Twenty
 Fourth St. Overpass

AR. I. Ingalls,, R. A. Porter and George Gordon Crawford, composing the Chamber of Commerce grade cross ing committee, declared in a formal statement Saturday that the chamber still Aopes to obtain viaduct at Twenty-fourth street without litigation.
 They predicted that the city com missions "ultimatum' for underpasses at three other corssings would bring on court fight of several years stand ing, leaving the public without relief in the meantime.
 Along with their statement, the com mittee gave out report by General W. l.. Sibert, the chambers consult ing engineer, containing chronological resume of his9crossing survey and re- citing some of the inside" facts that developed during the recent series of conferences between the committee, the railroads and the commissioners. The general declared that the commission, at one of these conferences, agreed to his original plan for viaducts at Eigh- teenth and Twenty-fourth streets. He expressed the view that this plan offers the best solution of the grade separation movement. f
 The statement of the special commit teemen was in the form of a report to the directors of the chamber. It fol- lows:
 StiIl Backs sibert
 "Your committee is still of the opin. ion that the Sibert plan is the more fesible of the two submitted and we regret exceedingly that the city com mission, thruogh only one of its mem- bers who attended the last meeting, saw fit to deliver its ultimatum. This substance is that the railroads must adopt their plan and they will resort to the courts immsdiately to determine the question: We predict that this will take several years to settle and in the meantime the public will be without relief.
 Your committee has given un- stitintingly of it's time and General Sibert approached the various schemes with an open mind and his final recom- mendations were the result of long study of the problem. It is our inten- tion to continue our efforts towards the accomplishment of the Twenty fourth street viadtfct, which particular crossing we hope, If possible, to keep out of litigation.
 We have tried gconsistently to keep out of controversies and to prevent the forming of factionss as public questions taking such a coWse inevitably delay the accomplishment of public improve ments and unquestionably retard pro- gress. No matter what plan is finally adopted, it is bound to work hard ship on some of the people, but in our deliberations we endeavored to reach conclusion in our position that would serve all parts of the city, the ma jority of the people and the railroads in a fair and equitable manner, so far as is possible.
 Tells of Negotiations
 In his report, General Sibert relates the various negotiations between the railroads and the city over the con struction of yiadtlets at Eighteenth and Twenty-fourth streets. These broke off after the city commission failed to attend meeting on Septem- Der 15, when a division of costs was to be agreed upon.
 "The railroads agreed to undertake, in connection with the city, the build ing of viaduet at Twenty-fourth street, concurrently with that at Eigh- teeuLu SLEecIs 4Ac CAtS COmuAlSSAOh anu the committee from the Chamber of Commerce agreed to accept this plan of procedure" General Sibert brings out in his report.
 Instead of being present at this meet ing as body, the commission was rep resented by one member, the report states, who asserted' that the underpass plan was to be insisted upon by the commission. {e
 After the various plans had bGen discussed by railroad officials, repre- sentatives of the Chamber of Commerce and interested citizens, the idea was advanced as to the advisiability of as- certaining the exact cost of both the .viaduct and underpass plans, including property damages to be determined by condemnation proceedings. Those in authority wnulds then know definitely the cost of either of the projected plans before any action was taken, General Sibert's report says in conclusion. /