The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-15

The business men of the county want him elected. He appeals to the voters 60 elect business men to this important of flee whether he be one of the number CT not in a letter which follows:
 To the Voters of Jefferson County:
 It has been a disappointment to me that l have not been able to see more of you and discuss with you the business inter est of the county which is handled by the Board of Revenue
 If the intelligent voter will stop to think and consider he would be careful to vote for men of business experience and ability to fill this important office. The members of the board are in reality the agents of the people and taxpayers.
 This county is a great corporation, the greatest in the state, except the state it. self. The taxpayers are the stockholders; the Board of Revenue is the board of directors. I would, therefore urge every voter to select competent men to fill this office They handle your money, and it depends entirely on them as to whether your business is successfully conducted or not. The selection of these men should not be matter of sentiment, or from likes or dislilles, for personal reasons. It is business pure and simple. You should not vote for your most intimate friend unless you think him qualified to handle  practical way This board handles hun dreds of thousands of dollars of the peo- ple's money and for every dollar spent the county should get value received.
 The county auditors report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1907, shows receipts $500, .79, disbursements s613,1 ,191 53 making an expenditure of SIP, ,7S7. "A more than was received for that year.
 In justice to the present Board of Rev. cnx xudc due to an unusual amount of money ex- pended in repairing the jail and court house in Birmingham, and on account of the county's taking over the Hillman hospital upon most favorable terms to the county.
 This same auditors report shows an ex- penditure of $109,646.9S for roads and bridges during this one year. I do noc propose to criticise the condition of our public roads, leaving it to the people to pass judgment on the same. I do, how ever, assert that with this large amount of money spent annually on our roads they should be kept in first-class condi- ton.
 The auditors report also shows that the county's bonded indebtedness is now $1, 100, ,000 %, which does not appear as a very large debt for a county like Jeffer- son, but it is to the interest of us all that
  ried at the smallest possible cost and wiped out as soon as practicable. Fifty thousand dollars of these bonds draw 5 per cent interest, all the rest draw per cent, except those sold by the sanitary commission which bear 415 per cent.
 I point with pride to the fact that the sanitary commission, of which I am a member, succeeded in selling the sanitary bonds at premium, and paid no broker commission for making the sale which draws only AZ per cent interest This was done when it appeared that all the bond brokers throughout the country had entered into combine to force us to make the rate of interest larger.
 The difference between per cent and AZ per cent on $1 100000. GO amounts to s16.- 800 annually. These old high rate of in- terest bonds should be refunded at the earliest possible moment. The interest is too great fixed charge on the county. Whether you vote for me or not would urge you to be careful in the selection of honest and capable men to constitute the Board of Revenue. They pass upon the valuation of your property, and fix the county rate of taxation they build and maintain your roads; they draw juries to try your right of life, liberty and prop erty, they look after the poor and un- fortunate, run the aims house and Hill- man hospital; the responsibility on them is to see that the jails and court houses are kept in such shape as to do credit to an intelligent and civilized people; they are your financial agents. In fact, they manage all of the business of this great county. Yours truly,
 T. II. MOTION.
 May H. 190S