The age-herald., 1899-06-25
NUMBER 127 xg

ing fairly and equitably towards the city, for If you do not the next legislature will pass laws which will force the merchants to contribute their pro rata and equitable share towards municipal existence.
 You no doubt remember, that the last legislature appointed committee to draft a revenue bill, consisting of Messrs Mead ow, Matthews, Michael, Kyle and Bran- don, and in their report, page b, they provided as follows:
 Every person, association or corpora tion carrying on such business, shall, be= tween the first day of October and the first day of November each year, make or cause to be made, a full and complete in- voice of the various articles of said goods, wares and merchandise, with the value thereof and in listing the tax thereon, he shall present the same to the tax assessor. II the person, association or corporation carrying on such business shall fail to make such invoice and present the same as herein required, or shall fail to make a return of the amount of stock as herein required, or if the assessor Is not satisfied with the return made, the asses sor, in order to make proper assessment, may examine the insurance effected by such person, association or corporatioD."s
 You may remember, and if not 1 will re- freshen your memory what a lobby went up to the state capital from Mobile, Bir- mngham and other cities to eXpunge this provision from the revenue bill, and un4 fortunately they succeeded.
 They will not do next time for by that time the cities effected will be ready with statistics to prove to the fair minded law makers, the negotiable assessments made here by the merchants generally.
 Yes, MT. President, call them together quickly, for 1t may soon be too late for the property holders enraged by the cons duct of the merchants, will prepare a bill, which l understand is known as the Mississippi Law" where the merchant cannot collect from the insurance compan- ies, in case of fire, any more than his stock is assessed for taxation.
 This Mississippi law Is a wise law, but it is not more so than many other progress sive and wise laws in operation in that state, and a similar law will work great benefit to this city, where some of the mer- chants assess their stock so low, compared to the aSounts for which they are insured. l do lfN care to mention names, but if you MT. President, desire it, I will give you list of some of the leading mer- chants, taken from the public tax books of the city, giving the amount of their as- sessment and also try and give as nearly as l possibly can, the amount of insurance carried, and you will be established (for you have valued your stock very reason- ably), as many others would at the rdic- ulously low figures at which they are as- sessed You would find, among others, a
 
 house, who assesses It's stock at less than $6,000, when the insurance this house cara ries Is about S25 900.
 You would find a leading wholesale liquor house assesses its stock at $2,500 and the insurance carried ds from $l0,000 to SIP 900. You would find that a leading dry goods house in the city assesses its stock at less than $8000 when they carry anywhere frop S2S,O00 to s35,000 of insurance, and with the three-fourths value clause In the policy at that I could mention many, many more, but there is no need, the matter is of public record and you or any other citizen can see for himself.
 No, MT. President you and your board of trade, which, as you say, is composed of 15O of Birmingham's leading merchants, should take cognzance of such injustice, done to all the people of the city and not come together for the purpose of devising ways and means to still more reduce the nominal amount of $21 761. S2 contributed by all of the merchants, toward Brmingham's existence; you, who are known in the city as an equitable and fair minded man, should insist upon each tax payer carrying his pro rata and equitable share of the citys burden, or forever disband and join with the injured portion of the citizens, and work with vim and Vigor to make Birmingham a great city commercially" For no city can become great without the indispensable elements necessary for the maintenance of free public education and public credit, both being the foundation stones of morality, integrity, progress and prosperity of all cities.
 r. REPPLIER.