The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-04

in excess of such per cent already created or authorized by law to be cre- ated.v Nobody can be hurt, all previ- ous creditors are provided for, and you protect the town against future indept- edness.
 Mr. Harrison--I heartily indorse what hne been said by the delegate from Greene. I admit my astonishment that an amendment should come from the Fcntleman from Lauderdale allowing cities and towns to incur an Indebtedness of per cent. and he him. Iaelf introduced resolution limiting the counties to per cent which must nee ezsarfly contain within their borders all the cities and towns of the State. II had the pleasure, MT. Presi- dent. of introducing an ordinance on this section limiting this very tax to 3 per cent. did 1t after careful examin- Ation and deliberation and after con- sultIng financiers in the State, and af- ter making the figures, and l ask the delegates here. whether their towns be large or small, take for instance town with $1,o00.oo0 worth of property. we limit them In the present Constitution, and we are pledged, as Democrats, not to raise that limit to one-half of one per cent. A million dollars worth of property would raise $500 at 1-2' of 1 per cent, If make no mistake in my cal culation.
 A delcgate-$5, ,ooo.
 Mr. Harrison-That is it; you raise q. 900. Now, at per cent you can issue 470, 900 worth of bonds. If you can get it for per cent, the interest on these bonds alone will be $3.500. Now, ask you. where is the city or town that can live and run its municipal government, police force and other expenses. on less than 1-2 of per cent. You will de- fault in the first instance. to say noth- ing of the exceptions pointed out by the gentleman who preceded me--notes. certificates, etc., to cover all the debts of city. In other words. it is letting the bars down so completely, or so nearly so, I apprehend we will have more bankrupt cities and towns-a great many more than we have now. look at the report on Municipal Cor porations. and I find they are undertak- ing to exempt certain cities and towns. That may be all right when we come to 1t. understand that perhaps the very city that the distinguished gen. tleman comes from, of which he is the Mayor. is itself badly in debt. know there are other cities in debt.
 Mir. Weakley Uauderdale)-Willt the gentleman permit an interruption?
 Mir. Harrison-I like to be polite-if they don't limit me, or take it out of my time.
 MT. Weakley-The city of Florence has a bonded debt upon which it has paid the interest. It does not owe a dollar in the world, and has 5000 in the treasury.
 Mir. Harrison-If you are that well of, don't think you will need go out and levy the extraordinary expense. l heard the gentleman before the Com xnfttee on Taxation! we heard his ar gument, and it was considered by the Committee on Taxation before this very section was adopted. I appeal to the members to look at the tax lists Of their towns and see where they will be. I know my own town, if it made it 5 per cent, 1t could not pay and 1t would be in default and repudiation.
 If there is a city or town in this condition, it Is but stronger reason why the Convention should apply the brakes now and protect others. Cities and towns, like individuals, should be made to live within their income. This extravaganza of beautifying, ornamen- tation, etc., is all right, and we love to see 1t, but submit we are pledged here to the people of Alabama In this Convention that we shall not raise the rate of taxation, and we ought to De honest We cannot raise 1t. l have nc idea that the delegates on this Muni- cipal Corporation Committee will ask us to raise the limit on cities and towns beyond half of one per cent. If one half of one per cent will not allow then to pay more than 5 per centA-I regard that as the maximum-I yielded to i simply to have unanimity on that re port. believe it is possible we may 70 to s. but I believe 3 Is safe and con seryative, and the city-smaller ano with less property than the county ought at least be brought down to tns limit of 3 1-2 per cent, which the Con vention has passed after long dls' cussion and test vote; we should no' allow the cities and towns greater taxes. a greater rate than the county we f3xed that after examination of fig ures: the Convention itself fixed 1t a 1-2 per cent. Certainly. the ability of the county is greater than that O the town. Why should we adopt thi' amendment when the mover of this res oiution himself stood by us In reouciht from 5 to 8 1-2, and he now undertake fo tax the people or authorize indeoteo ness against the people of the cities an' towns t1n 10 per cent, with dozen O ,noye executions, which. to my mind seenn to be indefinite. So far as thes exceptions are concerned, I would rath er have no limit at all, because 1t Is al
 much as to say to these people that we as delegates in Convention assembled nave considered the matter and nxe' Che rate to which it can go with safety b,,t I do not believe the average cit! or town would dare undertake to d' fhis. and we are doing ourselves 1nJus flee. we are doing wrong to the cue and towns to even say for one moment vou can incur the extent of indebtednes authorized by the substitute. l. there fore hope, MT. President and delegate of the Convention, that you will lool into 1t. As has been we'll said by m! distinguished friend from Greene, U my mind. it is the most dangerous or dinance or attempt to amend an oral nance. made in this Convention sine we have convened. I appeal to you look into it. Apply it to your owi municipalities. Look at your tax list and see if 1t does not mean danger O repudiation whenever We come near tn ner cent mark. It Is a continuatioi of that spirit which Is going over tn cities and town of Alabama and taH ing every man, woman ana chii' fr business Why the very spirit Il
 moi the letter of the Constitution. u heinz violated. It is our duty to stoI
 it and prevent them from incurrini 4his indebtedness that will tnfict sucf taxation not only upon property, ou
 upon business and occupations in fh'
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