The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-17


 Will you hear the other side? In the simpler days of the country, when new courthouses and jails were needed, spe- cial tax was ordered, the money pro- vided and the buildings erected. Now ordinary business methods, or the estab- lished methods of taxation will not sat- isfy the demand for more expensive and showy structures. Jefferson county Is burdened with a bond debt of 900 bearing an annual interest of $5S,oO0. and now there is an urgent demand for an additional bond tax of s60O000 bearing at least an annual interest of S27,000, which will make the annual interest debt of the county $85,000. When and where will this extravaganza stop? Birmingham Is al- ready carrying bond debt of more than s2, COG, ,000, and paying more than $100,000 an- nual interest. It was only a few years ago that Birmingham made default in the payment of the interest on that bond debt. Still the cry is more and more bor- rowed money. What matters 1t? On with the dance! Let the joy of expense be unconfined.
 In this state no municipality has ever paid a public bond debt. At this rate 1t will not be long before all constitutional restriction of taxation for Jefferson coun- ty will be removed that a sufficient tax may be levied to pay the ever recurring interest on the public edbt. Either this or the public revenues will be in the hands of receivers appointed by United States courts.
 This is not the way a prudent man manages his own affairs. When he has traded beyond his resources he restricts his expenditures to provide a fund for the payment of his debts When a gov ernment by Its expenditures exceeds its @4 ros.a 44. penses 1t increases taxation as Con- gross Is now doing. As to courthouse fa- cilities, the Board of Revenue out of the usual county revenues can, by conf1n- ing it's expenditures to those authorized by law, make ample provision by leaving out show to meet the necessities for court house and Jail. For the criminal court building over the jail, court room and offices, and for civil courts over the pres ent courthouse which the advocates of unlimited extravaganza urge is too beau- tiful to be marred by altering an addl- ton story may be erected The men who did such splendid work In the basement of the present building without marring it's beauty can build a thifd- or fourth story over the beautiful courthouse.
 People of Jefferson county do not be forced by this elamor to abandon all com mon sense Insist that public expendi- lures shall be made as a private in-
 
 his own affairs.
 A Bible reading people will remember that the first skyscraper undertaken led to the confusion of tongues, and It's con- sequent abandonment. It was called the Tower of Babel. The proposed skyscrap- CT courthouse and jail may not only lead to a confusion of tongues but to a con- fusion of brains and finances.
 W. c. WARD.
 Birmingham, June 1e, 1909.
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 I would like to say few words, through the columns of your valuable paper, to the voters of Jefferson county in regard to the proposed bond issue to be voted upon this coming Saturday.
 I notice there is a great fight raised on the fee system, which system I am un- utterably opposed to. This election has nothing to do with the fee system, and this hoodoo is raised to divert the minds of the people from the main questionable bond issue. The unpopularity of the fee system is being seized upon to becloud the issue.
 If the fee system were abolished Ve would need no bond issue, no new court house or jail provided the officers were placed upon a salary similar to the man. ner the federal government has placed their various marshals and deputies of the Northern district of Alabama.
 There was a time in this district when the marshal and his deputies received their pay out of the fees. At this time the marshal had from 25 to S5 deputies. which kept the federal building overrun with litigants, witnesses and stuffed with a heavy docket. There were very few convictions In proportion to the number of arrests. During that same time quite a few of the deputies were indicted by the federal grand jury for croolSedness in regard to the fee system. But at last, the government having seen the evil thereof, abolished the system and placed the marshal and deputies on salaries. As a result we have eight field deputies in- stead of 35. and the dignity and majesty of the law Is being preserved now as when there were 35 deputies. The number of cases have been reduced to one-third or less on the docket. I am informed 8 conviction is secured in almost every case This shows that it was quality in stead of quantity of the cases tried which resulted in convictions. We also have plenty of room in the federal build ing to transact the business of the court, whereas before 1t was jammed to almost suffocation with motley crew too num- erous to mention. This same argument as to congestion of the building will also apply to our county courts.
 Now, as to the s600000 bond issue, not to even mention the enormous debt this county already owes, nor to mention the great debtktha hangs over the city of Birmingham, declare to you voters and taxpayers of Jefferson county that after you have crossed over the River Jordan and quit the walks of men, there will come a day of final reckoning Your vote next Saturday shall decide if you yoke of bondage shall be placed upon your children and grandchildren. For I say to you there will come judgment day on this, and then who of us can stand against the white light of our creditors beating down upon us and our posterity? Then, the remedy will be to pass a con stitutional amendment to further raise the tax rate as the city of Birmingham did not so many years ago. But To! they tell you your taxes cannot be raised further, but alas! where Is our back tax commits