The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-25
VIEWS OF MAYOR
 IN LICENSE TAX Says Public Utility Corporations
 Do Not Pay Enough
SMALL MAN OvERTAxED
Thinks Birmingham Railway, Light and Power Go. Should Pay $3o,o00 Taxes and the Water.
 works $1o,ooo.

Mayor Ward gave out statement last night in which he favored increasing the annual license tax on the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power company from ss0oo to sso.0oO. and the annual license tax on the Birmingham water~6rks company from s250o to $10,000.
 Here is what Mayor Ward said
 "The license schedule will probably be comparatively free from increases this year.
 An effort will be made to see that the license schedule is equitable.
 "The merchant, tradesman, artisan and other small opponents of industry are now taxed so high as to retard the nat ural growth and development of the city.
 Privilege licenses, with the exception of the big public utility corporations. are much higher here than in any other city of the United States. In fact Birmingham is the only city in the United States that collects more money from privileged licenses than from taxes on real and per- sonal property.
 ''rhe public service corporations have contrived to escape their share of the just burden of taxation. Want Square Deal. ''There Is grave danger that they will continue to do this unless the public, which foots all the bills, will take the trouble to inform their aldermen without delay that they want square deal
 My idea of a square deal in this mat ter is that the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company's license should at least be s3o.ooo year. and that the license of the Birmingham Waterworks | company should be at least $10.000 a l year.
 "The Birmingham Railway, Light and I Power companys receipts are about $l,- l 500,O00 year. Of this amount about $77O | 900 is used for operating expenses. The remaining s7300oo is applicable to pay in- l terest on it's securities. "If the city can get s3o.oo0 as It's share for furnishing the most valuable part of the company's assets, namely, our streets and the right to tax our people for lights, think the city will be satisfied, and there will then still be s7ooO0o for interest and dividends to be distributed amoung bond holders and stockholders. "The amount required for this interest | is now S635, 800. Of course, if the stock holders and bondholders are not satisfied with that sort of division. the time for | arp,,n,ent ia passed
 People Will Not Forget.
 ..rhe people, however, will not forget that while they cannot escape producing interest on s1s,o00,OOO of securities. the owners of this s16,o0o,0oo of securities are consistently and successfully escaping the payment of reasonable taxes on their property
 "Whenever there Is an escape some body else must inevitably make good. 1 "In this case, 1t Is, as usual, the great mass of the people who must make good Waterworks Company.
 ..The same argument that l have ap- piled to the Birmingham Railway, Light anw Power company will. with modifica- | tions as to figures, hold good in reference to the Birmingham Waterworks company 1 with these irrefutable facts confront | ing us, I believe that these two greai l corporations which have surely passed the experimental stage, will recognize tht
 justice of the peoples demand for g | square deal, and promptly grant what the people desire"