The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-09
EXTENSION OF LIMITS
ANNEXATION or SUBURBS A
 LIVE MONTGOMERY SUBJECT.
Majority of Members of Legislature from This County Said to Favor It--Suburbanites are Great ly Divided.

Three of the five members of the Mont gomery County delegation in the Legisla- ture of Alabama favor the annexation of the suburbs to the city. while two are said to or pose the proposition.
 The members of the Legislature have expressed themselves privately to their friends. but they have declined to talk for pUblicat ton, deeming 1t unwise at this time. A strcng effort is being made to get unanimous and concerted action by the Montgomery delegation when the question comes up before the next Legis- lature.
 Tho appointment of a special commit tee from the City Council to map out the new city limits and the committed s work since it's organization has intensi- lied the interest n the question of an- nexation,
 Some of the citizens of CloverdaIe will hold a meeting in the near future to dis cuss the pending question and to lay plans for opposing, and if possible. for defeating annexation legislation. In West End there is talk of securing a charter which will give the little suburb a muni- cipal government similar to that of High ! land Park. Prominent citizens Of West End have notified members of the special ! committee from the Council that unless | that suburb Is annexed to the city, a charter would be secured and a separate
 municipal government established. A ma | jority of the West End citizens are said | to be strongly in favor of annexation, | while 1t Is opposed by the larger number | of the property owners of West End. In the other suburbs which will in all | probability be taken into the city annex | alton and anti-annexation is a live ques- | ton. The suburbanites are greatly di- vided upon the question of coming into | the city. It is known that a strong ef- | fort by certain property owners in the | suburbs will be made to prevent it. The principal opposition to annexation I comes from two classes, owners of prop | erty in the suburbs and keepers of stores | and saloons outside the city limits. The property owners look with disfavor upon
 annexation on account of the increase of taxes on their property outside the 1 city limits The city taxes which they will lave to pay when the corporate lim- l its are extended Is to them an important l consideration. The saloon men and mer- l chants are opposed to annexation because
 1t means to them the payment of a city | license, a burden which they do not at l present bear. Let well enough alone"
 is the position of the suburban merchants | and property owners.
 The strongest supporters of the annex otaoh olAC Ol tn6 4ucSuOat ltlc IHEtt- bers of the city administration. The in crease of the city's taxes which will fol- l low the widening of the city limits will be an important contribution towards | the expenses of Montgomery's municipal l government. The annexationists claim that there is no reason in justice why | the present city limits should remain | fixed and arbitrary. It is claimed that | the city limits were moved in towards the center of the city in reconstruction days | to eliminate the negro vote in the suburbs 1 from participation in Montgomerys mu- nicipal politics. The negro has been final ly eliminated by the new Constitution and the suburbs have been largely built up and the annexationists claim that it
 is only justice for all who get the bene- fits of city life and municipal govern l ment to pay their proportionate share of the expense.
 The annexatonists argue that the in creased advantages to the residents of the suburbs which will come from annex
 ation will more than outweigh the in- creased taxes and the heavier licence charges. It Is pointed out that suburban
 users of the citys water are now paying A quarter while they would, if taken into the city, have to pay only 8 quar- | ter, the amount paid by water subscribers within the city limits.
 It is stated that the City Council will, l if the suburbs are annexed. materially in- crease the number of policemen of Mont
 gomery in order to give the suburban residents adequate police protection. It is further proposed to put arc lights in all the annexed district. Electric lights are recognized as the very best police agents. The records of the police department
 show that more petty thieveries and burg
 iaries are committed in the suburbs and
 outside the city limits than within the
 city proper. The police department is nec-
 essarily restricted in its work to that
 portion of Montgomery which is within
 the city limits, although the Jurisdiction
 of the police force extends one and one | half miles beyond the city limits in ev- cry direction in Montgomery County. The special committee of the City Coun- | ell of which Alderman Ray Rushton is chairman is progressing with it's work | and report will be submitted to the Council at its meeting next Monday even | ing.