The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-19
OFFICIALS WILL
 IMPOSE HIGH TAX
Chattanooga Will N Iced Revenue
 When City Goes Dry
TAX ON NEAR BEER STANDS
Warm, Conflict Is Being Waged in Lit tie Town Near Chattanooga Over Proposition to Be-
 come Incorporated.

Chattanooga, April 1s.-(Special.)- )- Chattanooga city officials are preparing to meet the temporary deficiency in the city revenues that will follow the loss of the liquor license by the imposing of 8 high tax on the near beer stands that will spring up in the city .iinme- diate1y following the abolishing of the saloons. City Auditor J. M. Payne has just returned from Nashville, where he went before the state legislature com mittee on finance and recommended that such tax be allowed to be placed on the stands by the city.
 The other privilege licenses in the city are not to be increased on account of prohibition and the burden will not rest heavily on the business men of the city if there be any burden at all.
 In the little town of Soddy, just north of Chattanooga, is being waged a warm conflict to determine whether or not the town shall petition the leg islature to be allowed to incorporate.
 A mass meeting of the citizens of the town was called and held but the anti incorporation element bolted soon after the meeting was called to order. Those who were left immediately passed reso- lutions in favor of incorporation. Among other things the resolutions state as a reason for incorporation that the town is "at the mercy of 8 rough element of bootleggers and drunkards that revel by day and by night. They disturb our sleep by firing pistols and yelling like Comanche Indians through the dark hours of the night, making it both dangerous and disagreeable for anyone to be on the streets after night fall" The resolutions amplify on this deplorable state of affairs and leave a feeling that Soddy is like unto the wild and woolly west.
 The "antis." 1t is said. are backed byi the Queen and Crescent railroad and the Soddy Coal company, and are equal ly as active as the incorporation wing.
 Although Thursday was the day in which the Western Geramn bank of Cincinnati was to have made good its bid of s1S5.256 for s125.Ooo of Chatta- nooga refunding bonds which were bid on two weeks ago, they allowed the day to pass without making a pay ment on the bonds. In so doing they forfeited a guarantee check for s125O which they deposited with their origi- nal bid, and in the opinion of local of- ficials laid themselves liable for the difference between their bid and that which will be made for the bonds un- der a succeeding sale which will be advertised in a few days.
 The Cha attanooga Y. M. c. A. has elected the following directors to serve for the ensuing year: Dr. Raymond Wallace. J. Fred Ferger. W. 8. Wealth ford, Blair Finley, S. Barto Strang and c. Fred Thompson.
 The meeting was the first annual session to be held in the new $20o, 900 building and was attended by a large crowd. The reports showed that the work had increased 50 per cent since the work was removed into the new home of the association.
 Reports here that the Georgia fruit taken seriously by growers in the Chattanooga district, and they state that crops in this section will be heavy and full except for few blossoms that have been knocked from the trees by the heavy rains of the last few weeks.
 Sergeant Burbank, member of Troop B of the Eleventh cavalry. died this morning as a result of injuries re- ceived In being thrown from his horse last Monday. He leaves no living rela- tly es and will be buried in the National cemetery here.