The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-02
THE NEWS OF SELMA
Advertiser Bureau,

Mayor Atkins, the City Council, the Comercial and Industrial Association and the citizens of Selma are quietly framing plans to relieve the city from the existing stringent conditions. Even with united successful action when the next Legislature assemblies actual re- lief Is several years off.
 The only hindrance to Selmas growth in the past thirty years has been the financial complication brought on the city for generations to come by the "scalawags' in the time of recon struction. They burdened the then little village with a debt of little less than a million dollars and ever since city fathers have annually appropriat- ed from the treasury to help meet this enormous obligation, while the city's streets went unpaved, water and light companies demanded excessively of the city and taxpayers, cognizant of the fact that municipal ownership was next to impossible, and by reason of this bonded indebtedness they were handicapped seriously on either hand. Gradually that great obligation has been lessened and in a few years, if the annual appropriation continues, the city will be. free, but not so soon, as it wants. It is high time, Selma thinks. that 1t is paving its streets, owning the light and water plants, and making other improvements which will make it city in every sense the word implies.
 For complete alleviation it has but one recourse and that is an appeal to the Legislature, which several years ago put greater burdens on the city's shoulders instead of relieving it. If Selma had been put on a basis with Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile so that it could issue bonds for im- provements and If need be borrow money on good percentage of it's property valuation these necessities which it has been deprived of would have been visible. Instead Selma was denied what it sought for and was nut aside in the class with small towns and so many restrictions placed that it could not throw off the yoke of imposi- ton.
 Now the city fathers and the associa- ton of business men are considering two propositions, one of which. some claim, Is entirely feasible. If the Legislature will authorize an election and allow the citizens to vote on a constitutional amendment which would grant the privileges the larger cities enjoy, Selma would in time he in a position to pave its streets and make other improvements, but 1t would re- qulre several years at the best The Legislature doesn't meet as often as 1t used to by two years. As for the elec- tion for this special purpose 1t could be tackled on to the first one that comes along after the Legislature, There would be no two ways to the election. Selma wants relief. and 1t wants it badly.
 The other plan that is being consid- cred Is to waive the payment of the remainder of the indebtedness until the needed improvements are made.
 The debt now amounts to something above $2bO,OOO, and when it is decreas- ed to about $2OO,O00 the proposition Is to stop paying for awhile. There would be the interest, but 1t would be small comparatively.
 Selmians regard this as the most vital and critical period in the city's history and they ask why not leave the re- mainder of this debt for the future. Those alive have done their share of the payment, they say, and especially in the face of present conditions they think they should be less prompt in the settling of the debt and more zeal ous in making improvements
 To do that would be required the consent of the bondholders, but 1t is argued that 1t is such a safe invest ment with good interest that the bond holders should be glad to have the re- mainder of the debt deferred They should be pleased to have it put off. But there are some obstacles. It is doubtful if such plan would alleviate conditions to a great extent The city could do little, and the taxpayers would be burdened little more-an increase to five mills
 AS things now stand the city can hOFrnvV an n1y valuation or about $375.OO0. and in several other ways is handicapped. After having such an enormous and un- necessary debt to pay the Legislature has never done a thing to help Selma.
 It will be several years before she can get relief either way, but the united movement has begun