The age-herald., 1901-07-04
COUNTY DEBTS LIMITED TO312
 PER CENT PROPERTY VALUATION

There were IF members present.
 MT. Beddow of Jefferson by consent in- troduced a resolution to have the con- ventions printing done by union labor.
 MT Browne of Talladega moved to amend section 10 so as to provide that the limitation of per cent should not apply to existing indebtedness or to in- debtedness now authorized by law to be incurred
 MT. Weakley of Lauderdale offered as a substitute section eight of the report of the committee on municipal corpora tions. This reads as follows:
 Section S. That no city, town or vil- lage shall hereafter become indebted for any purpose or in manner to an amount which including existing indebtedness shall exceed seven per centum of the assessed valuation of the real and per sonal property within said city, town or village subject to taxation as shown by the last preceding assessment tor State and county purposes. provided. however, that in determining the limitation of the power of such city town or village to in cur indebtedness there shall not be in- cluded the following class of indebted ness, to-wit:
 (a) Notes certificates of indebtedness or revenue bonds issued in anticipation of the collection of taxes, unless the same be not paid within two years from the date of such issue and all such notes, certificates of indebtedness and revenue bonds shall be provided for, and made payable from the taxes levied for the year in which they are issued and shall never exceed the amount of such taxes.
 Cb) Bonds issued for the purpose Of purchasing or otherwise providing for supply of water or for the construction or installation of sanitary sewers. or for the extension of either of the same.
 c) Obligations incurred and bonds is- sued to procure means to pay Tor street or sidewalk improvements or storm wa ter sewers, the cost of which is to be assessed against the property aputtins UT drained by such sewers.
 (d) Debts created for the preservation of the public health.
 (e) Debts existing on the 9th day Of December. 1875, or any obligation issued to renew or refund the same.
 Debating the Section.
 MT. Weakley then read some statistics showing the debts and assessed valuations of the cities of Alabama He said city should own it's sewerage system, It's light ing and water plants, but beyond thls ne was not prepared to go. That the expense of lighting the streets of a city was 3 charge upon it's revenues If we adopt this limit of 8 per cent for water works, sewerage, etc., reported by the commit tee, we will absolutely tie the hands Of every city in the State. He read statistics showing the debt limit for cities of va rious States in the union
 Mir Mcdonald of Montgomery opposed the clause which allowed city to assess the entire cost of street improvements against abutting property. This, he said, was unfair and unjust.
 MT. Watts of Montgomery said the prop osition of MT. Weakley was simply to limit the debt of cities to per cent, and that 1t did not intend to charge the whole or any part of street improvements to the property owners. This matter was left >open. He illustrated the profit made by Montgomery in purchasing it's water plant as an illustration of cases where city makes money by issuing bonds to purchase such plants.
 MT. Sollie of Dale said abutting proper ty owners could now see their property confiscated by street improvements. He wanted to see the convention regulate these matters. He wanted property which was enhanced in value, whether it abut- ted the street or not, to pay part of the cost
 MT Chapman of Sumter said there was IO llIllll Ol luO pOWCi Ol 1 Soi PoidtiOi tO tax the people if he understood the sec tion alright. The sections which were not included in the per cent limit might amount to millions and millions Judge CoIeman's View. l Judge Coleman of Green said MT | Weakley's amendment was the most | dangerous proposition which had been | presented to the convention. He cited | the case of his own town struggling with | a debt. So long as a member could come to the legislature and get a bill through authorizing large issues of | bonds for public Improvements so long would the small towns in the State be in danger. We want protection and this Is | what we must have.
 l General Harrison of Lee agreed with Judge Coleman. He was surprised at | MT. Weakley's amendment coming from a man who had offered an amendment to fix the debt limit of counties at per cent. He said that if this amendment was adopted there would be more bank rupt cities in the State than ever before. The ability of county is greater than that of a town. and if we limit the i county debt to 31a per cent it is doing wrong to the towns to say to them you can incur debts as provided for in this substitute.
 MT. Graham of Montgomery said he was not surprised at the position or his colleague (Mr. McDonald) in reference to street assessments, as he had been fight ing the question in the courts, which had decided against him. Montgomery had an indebtedness of about $2, 900 900. $600, 900 of which was for the waterworks, which were paying we'll. If we put limit of 5 per cent on our municipalities it will ruin them.
 Montgomery's Condition.
 General Sanford said that the street Improvements In Montgomery had amounted to confscation Many people had left the city. many homes were mort gagged, there was cement sidewalks and Belgian blocks outside, but there was starvation in many homes. There were only 1900 white people in Montgomery who had to pay all the taxes. The ne- groes paid no taxes Bankers had left the city and moved to the country and wealthy citizens were building homes outside of the city limits. People had begged him to do something for them. Of what use to a laboring man were few bricks in the street. put down so that some gentleman from Boston might walk the streets and say what a beautiful city is Montgomery.