The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-06

tions has reported, and I favor. the proposition that no bonds shall be is- sued by any city of the State of Ala bsma, unless the proposition Is nrst submitted to a vote of the people. We have restricted their power of creat- ing debt. We have restricted their | power of taxation, and certain dfstfn- guished gentlemen now want to re- strict the power of cities in raising revenues by licenses. say, gentlemen, 1t looks to me as if the Convention has set out with an avowed purpose of strangulating the towns and cities Of Alabama, and, in the language of the distinguished gentleman from Greene, the, is the most momentous question that has ever been brought before this Convention. If you make 1t impossible for the city of Birmingham to grow and prosper, If you tie the hands of the city of Montgomery, and Mobile, and Gadsden, and Anniston, and Hunts vile, and Florence. and Tuscaloosa. you tie the hands of the most produc- tive towns in the State of Alabama. You gentlemen that have talked upon this floor about reduction in State tax rate will soon come to the proposition that there will be an amendment to the Constitution to increase the debt limit of the State because. just as sure as the policy now advocated upon this floor prevails, the increase in the tax able properties of this State will De very slight. There is as proposition In the amendment which offer, excluding from the debt limit bonds issued for school houses. In answer to iny cb- lection that may be raised against that, l say that, framed as the section is now, after giving it all the care end thought that representatives of the va- rious municipalities could give 1t, there was still very decided limitation upon the power of these larger cities to con tract debts, and it would have been ab- solutely impossible for a Single one or them to construct another school house. If this Convention is not going to do anything for what are called the bare footed boys of Alabama, then I beseech you, gentlemen, let the cities do it. l I live in a town that has a school popu- lation of 1000, and out of that Z,0oo there is en enrolment in the puplic school system of the city of Florence lof 1,o33 pupils, and in addition to that in the State schools and private schools in my town there are in attendance oVo additional. Right now, when the schools are in session, they are filled
 10 overfowing, and the teachers are
 working there at a pitiful salary or
 s per month, teaching one-half of the
 lass from 9 o'clock to 11-o'clock and
 he other half from il until o'clock,
 md even thus dividing up the work,
 he pupils are sitting in the windows
 wo CD a seat, and others denied ao-
 mission for want of room. Gentlemen
 Ee want the permission of this Conven-
 ion to build another school house, ana Ie want to tax ourselves to do 1t. \IMr. walker--I desire to offer sub Ca Aa rannYfaA
 hamittee and for the amendment of
 he gentleman from Lauderdale.
 The substitute was read as follows:
 Sech7n lO No city, town or other
 municipal corporation shall become in-
 ebted in any amount exceeding per
 entum of the taxable value of the
 lroperty thereof provided, that for the
 construction or purchase or water
 Forks, gas or electric light plants, san
 tary sewerage, or street or sidewaiK
 improvements. an additional indebted
 Iess not to exceed per centurl of such
 axable value may be created so as to
 e a charge upon the revenues from
 nXation of such city, town or other
 municipal corporation, and that any
 lebts or liabilities in excess of such
 er cent limitation incurred by such
 ity. town or other municipal corpora
 ion in the construction or purcnase or
 rdter works, gas or electro light
 plnts, sanitary sewers or street or
 stewalk Improvements, may be maoe
 farges upon or against, respectively.
 heh water works, gas or electric light
 lants, and upon the liens in favor of
 r the liabilities to said city, town or
 ther municipal corporation, acquired h or by reason of the erection or con- ,truction of such sanitary sewers, or ltreet or sidewalk improvements; pro- gided, further, that the limitations con gained in this section shall not apply to my indebtedness in excess of such linn tations already created or authorized by now existing law to be created.
 MT. Walker--I desire to offer a sub stitute for the Section reported by the Committee and for the amendment Of the gentleman from Lauderdale.
 F The substitute was read as follows: 1 Mr. Walker-This discussion has de- Veloped the fact that it is recognized that the Convention has made up its mind to put some kind of limitation upon the debt creating power of muni- cipalities. That is recognized in the substitute that was offered Q few mo- ments ago by the gentleman from Lau- derdale; but that substitute would re- ally defeat that manifest purpose of this Convention because 1t established. in the first place, limitation, and then selects the class of objects for which 1t is recognized the municipali- ties of Alabama are disposed to go into debr, and excepts from the operation of the limitation each one of those ob- je ,ts. So that in reference to the erec- tion of gas and water works and cleo tric light plants and sewerage, systems and sidewalks and street improve mcnss, tte result will be that this Con vension has made no limitation at sll but that in reference to those matters, | which are the only ones as to which | there is any disposition on the ps It of the municipalities of the State 70 c,e- ate debts and put themselves in the | posit .on or being unable to pay tEose | debts, or still leave them without any | limitation at all.
 Nov submit to the gentlemen of | the CCny ention if we propose to put a | lin itstion upon the debt creating rac- ultIss of municipalities, we should put | . real limitation and not limitation | which amounts to nothing, and if we l are 10 accept from the constitutional | provisions all these matters which | alone are those matters in which niu- are interested in tangling | themselves up in, we really put no lini ton at all and we. had better leave the matter without remark in the Constitution and let the Constitu- tion ren ain just as 1t Is.
 Mir Lowe (Jefferson)-W4ll the gen tlsm1l permit me question?
 Nr. Walker-Yes.