The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-23
,rman B. H. Cooper said:


 Alderman B. H. Cooper said:
 ''The statement of MT. Ward regarding the financial condition of the city reveals nothing new to those who have kept in- formed on its affairs, whether they be aldermen or private citizens. Birmingham has grown so rapidly that the demands upon the municipality have far exceeded its income, which has not kept pace for the reason that we have a lower tax rate than perhaps any other city of like size in the country, and for the additional reason that our realty assessments here are undenably too low. These two rad ical defects in our fiscal system must sooner or later be remedied. A higher tax rate, if it comes, must be voted upon by the people themselves in accordance with constitutional and legislative provi- sions More equitable assessments must be the result of the work of the county assessors, since the city has to take the county and state assessments as it's basis for tax levies
 Meanwhile, I am of the opinion that economies could be brought about by better adjustment of the expenditures in some of the departments of the city gov ernment The expenditures in some de- partments are out of proportion to those in others, and likewise out O. proportion to the importance of those particular de- partments A timely reform, in my opin- ion, and one which would work consider able saving, would be clearer under standing of the duties of the heads of the several departments and sharper defin- tion of the general lines of those duties. Birmingham, of course, should live within it's income.
 "As a member of the Board of Alder men, I am frank to say that I purpose to use my best efforts in assisting MT. Ward when he becomes mayor in giving to Birmingham the very best administra- tion which the limited means at our hands will permit"
 Crawford on Realty Values.
 w w. Crawford, president of the Ame- rican Trust & Savings bank, said:
 "Just got back on the noon train and haven't had time to read the papers care fully I reckon what Ward says is true. George usually gets his facts pretty straight. But, bless me, we can't afford to go up in the air on little matter like this. It'll all come out in the wash, and Ward will bob up serenely with the rest of us.
 That assessment business is interest ing. I don't know enough about the sub ject to express an opinion; can't say whether assessed realty values are too high or too low. In my case, I think. since the back tax collector raised me, the assessments are about right. The tror- ble is that if we raise the assessments Birmingham will get only part of the revenue. The rest will go to the county and state. I can't, for the life of me understand why the constitutional con- vention didn't empower the cities to fix their own assessments for the exclusive use of the municipalities It should have been done It ought to be done now. All property owners here would. be- lieve, be willing to have their assessments raised if they knew the increase in rev. enue would go to the city"
 Brown Brothers Dissent.
 Brown Brothers & Co.,. real estate deal CTS. made this statement:
 'The charge made by Mir Ward that, in many cases. realty in Birmingham is assessed at only 10 or 15 per cent of it's selling value will be surprising informa- ton to property owners here. Our be- lief. based upon trustworthy reports, is that realty here is assessed from 40 to 60 per cent of it's selling value under nor nal conditions
 This proposition to raise the assess ments on realty values in Birmingham