The age-herald., 1898-01-20

 to his means and fortune
 Suppose you let pass away from you this opportunity by suffering a defeat of the propositioni Then comes a default in the payment of the interest on bonds5 and the resuit-Birmingham becomes a bank rupt. Much to my surprise, I have heard intelligent men, who are large tax payers in this city, thoughtlessly express will ingness to such a result. It simply means 'receivership." Your great promising city, in which we all take so much pardonable pride, robbed by the prejudces, lethargy or inertness of her people, of her franchises, and without the power of credit or taxa ton, becomes the servant of her creditors Let 1t be remembered that receivership does not and cannot wipe away past in- debtedness and fixed charges. Principal and interest on bonds would still be paid, the current expenses of a shackeled com munity could not cease even then. The same constitutional limit of taxation (50 cents on the $100) would be assessed by the state; and this divided first among cred itors, then police, fire and health depart ments, and with such Q meager supply for each, pandemonium would reign supreme under the inadequate money supply. Hence you observe that even in the event of such precipitation of our city into bankruptcy and Acknowledgement the safety of your homes, the health and lives of your wives and children would cry out for an increased tax rate, which would not then be possi- ble.
 Inadequate Police Protection.
 "The cry of retrenchment can have gen eral application, but undertake it specific ally, in the police department, and you bring about inadequate protection to our homes and firesides; in the department of fire protection, and you are met by double insurance rates; in the department of health and 'pestilence walketh at noon day, and in the department of schools and you rob us of our greatest pride. There is no halt. We must go forward.
 Public funds should be under public con- trol. Both American and English funda- mental law declares it. So jealous are the English of this principal that the commons will not allow lords to propose amendments affecting money grants or taxation. Ma poleon l. expressed opposition to self-gov- ernment in his famous dictum, Every thing for the people, nothing by the peo- pie" The very thought is repugnant to the American mind and heart
 Knowing that you recognize the value of home government, and that you have pride in the upbuilding of your city, and an honest desire to deal with your citys creditors honestly and fairly as with your personal obligations, that you delight in an appreciation of the preventive, detec- tive and custodial power supported by the people and for the people in the shape of pure municipal government I venture to suggest to you the importance of a we'll planned organization for bringing the peo- pie of Alabama to full realization of your needs, that you may win from them just verdict according to your desires. There can be no question of your ability to draw the people of this state to your support in such an effort. The spirit of self-govern- ment handed down to them by the framers of the American constitution still abides with them; and that England imposed taxes without our consent and thus hrOnpbt nholt ba If of Dfio is fact which will not cause them to deny to you the creation of a proper organism for expending your own money in the building up of your city, for in their wis dom and intelligence they must, with you recognize that a failure to grant such re- quest must lead to inanity, Encouragement, broken obligations and the debtors final oblivion-bankruptcy. Your right of as- sociation and petition to the higher power the people-is positively acknowledged by our constitution. It is simple, primitive and natural right, not even denied the ere
 ture in addressing diety; and when your wants are presented in a true light, relief must and will come, and thus you open the way to the continued growth and greatness of Birmingham.
 Our Water and Light Supply.
 "Your prompt and vigrous investigation of the present water and gas supply of the city, and of the charges preferred of viola tion of existing contracts between the Bir- mingham Gas company, and the Birming ham Water Works company, with the city, cannot fail to meet the hearty endorsement of all thoughtful citizens, and tax payers, and I recommend continued activity and vigilence along this line until each and ev- cry contract of public nature is thor oughly investigated and guarded These corporations, which are quasi public insti- tutions, hold valuable franchises from the city, and it is plainly your duty, as agents ba to ba ipt est, at the same time eschewing prejudice against the corporations, which must be recognized as associations of individuals, whose banding together has enabled them to do much for the building up and develop ment of the city. Comparative statements of the cost of water and light in this and other cities of like size and importance in dicate that Birmingham is paying too much for these necessaries; but if the con- tracts unexpred have not been violated. you are, of course, powerless to deal with even this fact.
 Municipal Ownership.
 'I congratulate you upon your first moye- ment looking toward municipal ownership in the appointment of committee to n- vestigate the cost of establishing and man- taining an electric light plant to be owned by the city. You expended for light during the year just closed S16,39774, and yet the city was in partial darkness Such sum
 
 abundant light for all purposes. You are, under your contract with the Consolidated Electric Light company, now paying $9 per light per month, but this contract for ten years from date of execution expires next September. compilation of statistics on street lighting by electricity issued by the American Society of Municipal Improve ments shows among other information, that one hundred and seventy-one cities in the United States contain 1S7 public and private electric lighting plants and operate 30, BOP 2000 candle power and Il ,572 1,2O0 can dle power arc lights and 251 50 candle power and TOPS 16 candle power incandescent lamps, lighting 4,s93 miles of streets. Of those cities operating municipal plants Kendalville, Ind, shows the lowest price, $SO, and Tacoma, Wash. the highest, s1OO per -annum for 2,000 candle power lamps Of those lighted by private contract, Chey- enne, Wyo., pays the highest rate, S162; Minneapolis being next with $15O per lamp. The average rate paid for 200O candle pow CT arc lamps by contract with private com pany. for all night and every night service in twenty mine of these cities is $106S5; in municipal plants in nine cases, $66.26. The average cost, moon schedule, by contract