The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-29
GAMBILL HITS At
WARD AND DRENNEN
License Tax Collector on Greener
and Gayle Cases
REFUTES WARDS CHARGES
Says He Has Recently Collected All
That Gayle Owed city-Gamblll
Passes the Greener Case
Up to the Mayor.

A. A. Gambill, license and street tax
collector of Birmingham gave out yess
terday afternoon a prepared statement
regarding what he eharacterizes as sew
eral charges of lenency' which he says
were made against him in the last may
orally campaign by George b. Ward. In
his statement Mr.. Gambill explains his
position regarding the Gayle and Greener
licenses
Here is what Mr.. Gambill says:
ITO the Citizens of Birmingham:
Hon. George B. Ward, mayor elect,
made several charges of 1eniency against
me during the last mayoralty campaign.
On the evening of December T. Mr.. Ward,
in an effort to defeat me for office stated
that several charges had been made
against me during the late campaign,
which charges had not been refuted.
THAT was true. l had not refuted the
charges at that time. Some people talk
before the election, and others talk after.
Il have been elected for the year 1906.
and my commissions have been fixed, so
the citizens will readily see that do not
expect any support or assistance from
any citizen on the strength of this state
and my commissions fixed for the year,
but think this the proper time for the cit
liens of Birmingham to understand the
true situation regarding what Mr.. Ward
considers charges.
I'm regard to Mr.. r. w. Gayle's license,
l will state that I. as president of the
Palace Livery company, leased a small
vacant lot from Mr.. Gayle, that he had
leased and was not using, for So per
month. Mr.. Gayle asked me to let the
Palace Livery company hold his rents
and apply same on his license. He being
behind on license, as usual / agreed to
this, knowing that the time of the ex-
piration Of the lease, which was February
Is, 1904, would almost cover the license
for the three years. which was sos. |
thought this better at the time, as the
money was being held subject to my order
by one of the largest corporations In the
city. l would not. nor have | ever, held
any part OF any license or street tax per-
sonally, 1t having been my policy from
start to finish to collect all or none
when I resigned as president of the
Palace Livery company, about a year
ago, [ explained to the new president
and also the new secretary and treas
urer that the amount due Gayle by the
Palace Livery company was to be held
The books of the Palace Livery company
show the transactions as [ have stated
them.
Il have recently collected from the Pal.
ace Livery company 800 due Mr.. Gayle
and have also collected IS from Mr.. GAYLE
making the total amount due the city by
him.
In regard to Mr. Greener's license.
Will state that | had positive instruc-
tions from the mayor to hold up on his
license, although when I was attacked
and severely criticised by Mr. Ward on
the evening of December Z, at which
time the election was held, for allowing
this license to remain unpaid to my sur
prise the mayor did not. as he should
have done, get up and state to Mr.
Ward the other aldermen and a large
number of citizens present, that he had
given me positive instructions to hold
up on Mr.. Greener's license. as Mr.
Greener was positively not able to
pay the license in full. I arrested Mr.
Greener more than a month ago, and his
case Is still pending in the police court
and the license remains unpaid
Il wrote letter to the mayor and
board of aldermen at the last regular
meeting and asked for the board to pass
upon Mr.. Greeners case. The letter was
49, AN"AAf ~ i'iiAiit " II tOInmlIIee.
Il think Mr.. Greener deserves eonsid-
GRAFTON In his present financial condition.
but | want the board to pass upon the
question, as they are the only people
who have the authority to make this
extension.
las to the street tax the collections
were short this year. due to the fact
that practically all of the public works
have been closed down during this year
From this source we collect a large
amount of street taxes.
THE license collections were larger
this year than ever before
"The street taxes and licenses are due
January ], 1905, and will be DELINQUENT
January 10. If any taxpayer or taxpay-
ers should desire any extension of time
on license or street tax, he, she or they
must take the matter regularly before
the board of mayor and aldermen at a
regular meeting and get such extensions
as they desire, as no alderman individ-
ually, not even the mayor, has a legal
right to have me deviate from the law
laid down governing license and street
taxes.
II make the above statement FOR the
satisfaction and benefit of the citizens
and taxpayers of the city of Birmingham.
CSigned) "A. A. GAMBILL,
birmingham. December %, 1904"