Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-02
rHn rAx ENTERTAINMENT.

THE TAX AMENDMENT.
 The AGE HERALD publishes this morn- ing petition to the voters of Alabama against the proposed Birmingham tax amendment, signed by a number of our respectable citizens. There is no argument in the appeal. It is simply an objection to taxation, a condemnation of the action of the Commercial Club in indorsing the
 movement and a charge by these individ- uals of extravaganza in the management of the affairs of this municipality. No specific charges are made as to extrava- gance, and no figures are presented to show how the city is going to pay S91 ,000 nterest on her public debt, $30, ,000 for fire protec- tion, f25, GOO for police, $40, ,000 for public schools, S30, coo for water and lights,
 Tl0, eco for sanitary department, nothing for salaries, nothing for street mainten- aDce, nothing for charity-out of $166, 600 income. To make their case strong the
 mathematicians who sign this petition should furnish the voters of Ala bama some figures. Houorably and periodically, the
 petitioners say, "the city's credit must be upheld;" knowing full well too, that it will cost S9l 900 per annum to do this, or about S15, GOO more than the present total amount of taxes on real estate paid into the city treasury. Perheps the petitioners would arrange a schedule so as to preserve the credit of the city by cutting out the police and fire departments of our usually quiet and peace- ful city; annulling the water contract and
 putting out the lights, closing the public schools and withholding the hand of public charity; thus taking step backward Of decade or more. But hardly so, as some of them have much at stake here, and cer- tain it is that large majority of the voters aud tax payers of Birmingham would most seriously object to this.
 If it be true that the city has been mis-
 managed in the past, or is being extrava- gantly managed now, her people are not going to give Der up entirely, allow her
 credit destroyed or her prospects for future strength and greatness to be endangered or crippled by refusing to allow themselves taxed in sum not in excess of A of per cent, which is still less than the rate in any other American city of more than 20 ,000 in- habitants.
 The AGE HERALD sees no remedy for the impending dangers of municipal bank ruptcy, except the adoption of this amend nent, and again 1t appeals to the voters of Alabama to vote favorably upon the proposition for the preservation of the credit of an Alabama city, which is suffer- ing under the combination of a heavy debt and low tax rate.
 Fear has been expressed by some who are not otherwise opposed to the amendment, that it's adoption would mean ths issuing of more bonds, the piling up of more debt.
 This is hardly possible. The present debt of Birmingham is about 10 per cent or | more of her assessed values, ratio per
 cent greater than the constitutional limit in most States, and with the present low values and monstrous debt no investor would handle our further obligations. Again all the bonds issued by Birmingham bear the stamp of priority in accordance with date of issue, and the present debt must be reduced before our city councils or legislatures can dare ask for further credit. Those who favor the constitu- tional amendment will no doubt agree
 with us upon this proposition.
 Birmingham is confronted with great | difficulty and relief can come to her only l through the voters of Alabama, who have
 it now in their power to say whether or not she shall have the right to tax her self for the preservation of her credit and for her general future welfare