The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-18


 new county, will have to pass througl. Birmingham to reach the county seat The northern boundary line of tho pro- posed new county will be just south of the fair grounds, just outside of the limits of Greater Birmingham. The new eoun- ty would take away from Jefferson coun- ty much the greater proportion in value of its iron ore lands and Pratt coking coal. Thousands o1 citizens in the south ern end Of the county who have been in tlie habit Of trading in Birmingham from early manhood; who have established their business relations with the mer- chants of Birmingham; who have been accustomed to doing their trading when coming to Birmingham on business call ing them to the county seat. will there after be unwillingly coerced into going to Bessemer. A man who starts out to town in this section of the country wants to go to Birmingham. He would no more want to stop at Bessemer, one of It's suburbs, than a man starting to New York would be willing to stop at Ho- boSen. It is Bessemers right and privi- lege to seek to increase it's business. but it should not. by process of law, eoerce the divXersion of business which has belonged to Birmingham for g,>~ ations past. Bessemer lies in the same valley with Birmingham. and like Ensley, North Birmingham, East Lake and Woodlawn, Is bound to Birmingham by business, political and social ties. The same problems confront the inhabitants of all parts of this coun- ty; and the great questions of sanitation and water supply should be dealt with by one set of county officials and by one county rich in resources and with an es- tablished credit, whose bonds can be float ed at a low rate of interest in the mar kets of the world. am reliably informed that large majority of the inhabitants of the lower end of this county, outside of Bessemer, whom 1t is proposed to take into the new county, are opposed to the change. The present costly and hand some courthouse at Birmingham is in part their courthouse. paid with the money raised from their taxes If the proposed county is created an expensive courthouse will be built at Bessemer, and money must be provided to build a jail establish a poorhouse and the other neces- sary equipment for the transaction of county business, as well as for the sal aries of county officials. t Might Reduce Tax Rate.
 The present tax rate, state and county, is Sl 80 on the Sl00, 65 cents of which goes to the county and 65 cents to the state. The assessed value of property in Jeffer- son county has increased this year $l3.- 000,000. MT. John Powell member of the state tax commission who has this year given especial attention to the assess ments in Jefferson county, has recently stated on several occasions that with the increased assessed values in this county the tax rate can be materially lowered so that all the citizens of the county should be able in look forward to a lower tax rate commencing next year if the present territory of the county remains unds- turbed, and surplus money in the treasury can be expended for bringing to high state of excellence our present system of county roads If the new county is created, the inhabitants of that territory cut off from this county must look for- ward with certainty to higher tax rate and poorer public roads because the rev enues of the county would be absorbed in large part for some time to come in the erection of the necessary county build ings. Two courthouses and two sets of county officials in practically the same territory will result in an increase in expense. more officeholders and poorer public roads.
 Editorial Change.
 q am not surprised that with a num- Der of the citizens of Bessemer hoping for office in the new county, and others hop ing for commercial profit from the trade drawn to the county seat, that the people of Bessener should want a new county; but am astounded that citizens of Br- mingham, not commercially interested in Bessemer should ask for the dismember- ment of this county. The same spirit of civic pride which makes us enthuse over Greater Birmingham has always made us loyal to Jefferson county. The Birming- ham News advocates the dismemberment of Jefferson county, although in it's edi- torial columns it has time and again boasted with just pride of the greatness of the county and strenuously resented many assaults upon it's territorial integrity. The citizens of Bessemer did n clever thing in inviting the State Press association to hold it's last meeting at Bessemer, and I believe it was at the banquet at that meeting when the editor of the Birming- ham News, appreciative of the hospitality of his Bessemer hosts for the first time declared in favor of the new county. In 1902, when a number of candidates were running for the state legislature, Bes- semer made an effort to commit them in favor of the proposed new county. The Birmingham News with it's usual energy and aggressiveness, at that time insisted that no man should be elected to the leg isature from Jefferson county, however qualified he might be in other respects. who favored the creation of the new coun- ty. In an editorial on August 15, 1902. under caption of County Partition,' the News says:
 The News believes that it would be severe blow to Jefferson county, Besse- mer and lBirmingham that Bessemer and it's environs should constitute a separate county. Jefferson is not only the first county in Alabama, but in white popula- tion it is the third county in the south, and in a few years should be the first in population, wealth and industrial develop ment. There is no real antagonism be- 
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