The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-24
FINDS BIG FLAW IN
BIRMINGHAM BILL
Blackburn Points Out the I'm
fair Exemptions
MILLER SPIES OBJECTION
Former Legislator Thinks smyer Bill
In Present Form viii Never
Make Great Birmingham
Possible.

Felix L. Blackburn, former representa-
tive In the legislature from Jefferson, and
prominent attorney yesterday gave
out the following statement regarding the
Smyer Greater Birmingham bill. He
handles the situation with gloves off and
seeks to show that in one of the out
lying districts. at least the small land
owner will bear the burden while the
large property holders will be free from
taxation
Mr.. Blackburn says:
Il have been reluctant in having any
thing to say in regard to the alleged
Greater Birmingham bills now pending
in the legislature for the reason that
l am extremely anxious for Greater
Birmingham to become an accomplished
fact. During the past ten or fifteen years
we have held three elections in the terri
tory lying Immediately west of the cor
porate limits of Birmingham on the ques-
ton OF incorporating or not with a view
of getting into Birmingham. At each
election the proposition failed of secur-
ing a majority of the votes. There are
several very Objectionable features, in
my opinion, to the bill known as the
'Smyer BILL but L will here only urge
one.
Subdivision /. of section 9, is a most
1t provides for levying and collecting
taxes for the city after five years on
the property brought into the city under
the BILL, but has the following string
in the tail of the section but In no
event can more than ten acres of land be-
longing to one owner or tenants in COM
mon be taxed under the provisions of
this subdivision, where no person re-
sides or such owners land, even though
the population residing on contiguous
land might authorize more than ten acres
to be taxed on the bases named, and in
no. event can any portion OF tract or
more than ten acres of land owned by one
owner or tenants in common upon which
there is but one dwelling house other
than houses for agricultural employees,
be taxed under the provisions of this
ub-divislon.'
Now let's see who does this subdivision
tax, and who does 1t exempt from tax
alton.
1--WE will Just take the territory lying
westerly of Birmingham, that with which
| am familiar.
Under it the man of moderate means,
the owner of residence located on the
ordinary town lot, the humble cottager,
would have to bear and pay the burden of
taxation.
"'rhe Munger summer palace with about
twenty-five acres of land; the Joseph r.
SlllIn estate tleDdlllS III CoiilHiOIj WIN
at least forty acres of land; the r. N.
Greene estate tenants in common) with
at least forty or fifty acres of land; the
e. j. Smyer tract of 100 acres lying west
OF and adjacent to the corporate limits
of West End, and several others would
be exempt.
az understand that all the parties in
terested in the above named tracts are
enthusiastically supporting the bill and
some of them have gone so far as to
tell our senator that they must have 1t
Just as 1t stands or not at all.
Nov who demanded this bill In the first
place? The Mayor of Birmingham dis
claims 1t. The city attorney has pub
| lished an article severely criticising GER
tain sections which we find in the pres
| ent bill. The City Council have never
claimed the bill and in fact Mr.. e. J.
| Smyer, whom / understand is the attor-
! ney of the Joseph r. Smith estate and
| Nj. p S Munger, is the only person l
! have heard of who claims the author
! sh. > OF the bill Now can it be expected
! that the voters in this territory would
vote in favor of going into Birmingham
under this bill when they know that
| they would be voting a tax upon them
| selves and eXempting such tracts as above
mentioned? That fact alone would keep
! those who really wanted to be taken
| in from voting In favor of it. In my 1udg-
ment the bill is improperly named. 1t
should be STYLED "A bill to indefinitely
postpone Greater Birmingham We have
often heard of the Niger in the wood
pile but / say the biggest niger Is in
this wcodpile' that ever put foot in Jeffer-
son county and | think Senator Miller has
| spied him. Amend this section so as to
make taxation fall on all alike and not
| EXEMPT favored few and then let's all
try with might and main to get Greater
1 u