The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-05

society producing those values, and it is
wrong to ALLEVIATE them by violence or
craft from the people This is the great
ethical principle Jesus recognizes. The
people of a society have a natural right to
tae enjoyment Of the values produced by
thut society.
Society is the great creator of values.
Many men in Birmingham nave grown
rich by Selling the products of social
growth. That those who invest their lives
in city should be vested with the values
of that city, is a principle of equity that
our arbitrary statutes often render nuga-
tory.
Failure to properly value and avail
oneself of his rights and privileges is
forfeiture of them. The most valuable
things in the city of Birmingham are her
streets. Not because we can walk on
them and drive over them. but because
they are arteries along which goods need
ed in our homes may be carried, such as
water, gas, electricity. telephone messages
and passengers to and fro.
Several years ago you decided that
the public utilities were of no value and
practically gave them away to a corpora
ton. You cast these franchises as WORTH
less scraps to the dogs. Today these same
franchises which you gave away for all
time to come are bonded at over $10-
900, 600, and are about to be bonded for
So 900. 600 more in Wall street, and are
stocked for $6.0O0,OO0 Twenty-one million
is their value four years from the time
you gave them away.
Because as citizens you did not value
your rights, others stepped in and took
them. and so you will pay for these mill
Hons in gas and electric light bills and
street car fares for all time to come.
This city will pay s2O.00OOO0, yes hundreds
of millions, to this company, which had
sense enough to see the value of these
streets that you did not see and seized
them for mere pittance.
"A blind city is pathetic thing. Jesus
wcpt over one. saying, % Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, if thou hadst known in this
thy day the things which pertain unto
thy peace But now they are hidden
from thee, henceforth your house is left
unto you desolate.'
"The same lamentation is pertinent to
Birmingham. sleeping while exploiters are
stripping her of her values.
81 hold in my hand the wall Street
Journal of day before yesterday, where
this corporation makes "A statement OF
its business in the last five years. In that
period the gross receipts have grown from
ST .O760O0 to ST. $4,000. In that time 1t has
collected from the people who must use
the streets over $7,230,OO0. The net re-
cepts have grown from 100000 in 1902, to
$50 ,OG0 this year.
'',rhe net profit. after paying interest
on the watered stocks and bonds, last
year was $36S 900 These are the values
YOU tossed to this corporation five years
ago. as a boy would toss a scrap to his
neighbor's dog. You have put taxes on
everything in this city. You tax a man
for walking the streets, for fixing his
plumbing, for mending his house, for
running a business TO make a living, to
get 100000 to operate the city, keep our
courts. jails. etc Yet the net profit from
these franchises last year was twice as
mucl Ms your CITY ihSpiht'
IF you had rightly valued these fran
chises, you could now operate your city
for the cost of public service In these
lines Instead of taking the peoples
earnings, you could run the city prosper
ously on the just compensation which
municipal service would net you. But
so long as we throw away the assets of
our city, we will have to impose these
obnoxious taxes
THE increase from these franchises
amounts to more than sl50,0o0 a year in
gross receipts and more than $4,000 in
net earnings. At this rate thirty years
from now the income in gross receipts
will be over $5000.000 annually and net
receipts over 100000 per year. and since
these franchises are unlimited in time,
when Gabriel blows his trumpet the
angels will not be able to estimate their
productive value. Esau sold the heritage
of himself and posterity for a mess of
pottage and could not recover, though
lie sought it with tears.
Opportunities lost however deplored,
Are forever gone and never restored
IF the child refused his bread. the dog
could eat If We reject our benefits as
citizens anyone who can, has the right
to it, There are men here who have lost
the opportunity to realize q great and
Useful life and thereby forfeited that ma
rural right. Others, however, have seized
the neglected opportunity and realized
the blessing E"