The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-10

puDiic utiilty 10 a corporation or person.
 It can grant, however, a franchise for
 thirty years. am opposed to the grant | of such franchises even for thirty years
 ordinarily. There may be instances where
 1t may be of great advantage to the city
 to grant such franchise for the full | period of thirty years. In such lase be- lieve vox populi should be consulted, that | is. vote of the people should be had upon the question. I promise the people
 to use the veto power and influence of the office of Mayor to accord with these views.
 10. I dare say this is the most aston
 ishing condition in the history of any progressive city. Instead of the assessed valuation of the personal property in- creasing in six years in keeping with the progress of our city we are confronted ] with decrease In that time of over $550.- | 000. I confess I have some difficulty now
 in accounting for this peculiar condition, but I promise the people of Montgomery, | if elected Mayor. that I will appoint commission of three, or which the Mayor shall be chairman, for the purpose of | rigidly Investigating this matter and rec | ommending an appropriate remedy there I for.
 II. Has the system of licenses an equal
 ity basis, if not. how will you equalize
 It? I do not think the present system
 of licenses has an equality basis. There
 is no rhyme or reason, justice or equal | ity that requires a green grocer doing | from five to ten thousand dollars busi-
 ness to pay a privilege tax of $500 there
 for annually, when wholesale house or
 retail grocer doing a business of one half l million dollars or more annually Is re- | quired to pay for the privilege a license | tax not equal by one-half that paid by the green grocer" I promise the peo- | pie. if elected Mayor of Montgomery, to have commission appointed consisting | of three members, of which the Mayor
 shall be the Chairman, to investigate this condition and recommend how these H. censes may be capitalized.
 12. Do you believe the city should grant its franchises without compensa- | tion? In answer to this question I have | to say that the citizens are now taxed | almost up to the legal limit. It is with 1 the moneys derived from these taxes that schools have been built streets paved a sanitary system inaugurated, pure water | established and furnished and the city generally beautif1ed. As a result of these many Improvements the city is increas- ing in population, property has become more valuable and the territorial limits | of the town have been extended. Unques- tionably. therefore, the franchises of this city for the use of Its streets for public utilities have become more valuable than ever before known. The city charges an | nual rent to private persons for the use | of its stores. These rents for this small | space bring large revenue to the city. 1 cannot see any rational reason why | the city should exempt a wealthy corpo-
 ration from the payment of a reasonable
 annual rental or compensation for the
 use of its most valuable property-itS
 streets. I am in favCr of requiring year | ly compensation for every such franchise
 that is granted by this city.
 Only recently the City Council of Mont | gomery granted a fifty-year franchise for the use of all the streets of the city of Montgomery without one dollar of com | pensation to the city. This was an out | rage perpetrated upon a confding public Here was the most valuable piece of 1 property owned by the city given away for the asking to rich corporation. Had
 the Council of Montgomery required small annual rental or compensation
 therefor of $10.000. in fifty years the peo-
 pie of this city would have been relieved
 of $5O0,000 bonded indebtedness from this
 source alone. This stupendous gift to
 wealthy corporation on the part of the
 city ought to open the eyes of the think
 ing taxpayers of this town, and I most respectfully direct their attention to the
 fact that several of the candidates now
 announced for Mayor and who were then members of the City Council, voted to sustain this gratuitous gift of the peo- ples' property.
 publicly state and promise the people of this city. if elected 4dayor, that I am unalterably opposed to the granting of these valuable franchises without reason able compensation therefor; and I shall use the veto power of that office and every other means at my command to prevent such wastefulness.
 13. The building of hotel.-I believe the Mayor of Montgomery who will give the necessary time and attention toward 1t, can do great deal in the direction of establishing hotel plant of appropriate proportions in this city. In this connec- ton I might say that If elected I can SC cure the cooperation of four or five local capitalists with whom l believe I could interest Eastern capital to organize one of the finest hotels South. The Mayor can aid in making this undertaking a success, If he will give 1t his time.
 A. If elected Mayor of Montgomery, l promse the people to enforce the laws of the city without political fear or favor as far as lies within the power of such of- flee, and as a sworn officer I shall use every influence of that office to execute the law. I shall play no favorites. high nor low.
 15 I propose to see that the vagrant laws are vigorously executed. and shall use this labor in graveling and beautify- | ing our streets.
 16 How generally do you propose in- creasing the city's progress and pros perity? By letting the world know that we are the third heathiest city in the world, and that we are on the map. I believe the Mayor should represent the city at the St. Louis Exposition in such way as will bring immigration and wealth into its confines. I believe in keep ing a wide-awake man on the road through the Eastern and Western States advertising our city as 1t should be.
 In conclusion, l would say that the government of a city is a business af- fair and should be managed along busi- ness lines. If the proprietor of a business places In charge thereof a manager and pays him a good salary. he expects that manager to give his entire time. thought and attention to it. The affairs of the city should, as matter of practical business, be run without an annual de- | hcit.
 The Mayor, the real manager of the city's business, is paid a good salary The | manifold duties of that office require his entire time and attention If he is to dis charge them properly. He cannot serve | two masters at one time. In small in- corporated villages the Mayor does not give all his time to their government. The duties do not demand 1t, but in a city like |