The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-17
ENSLEY CITIZENS
 ISSUE ADDRESS
Protest Against Killing EnsIey's
 Identity
BOTH SIDES ARE ACTIVE
Greater Birmingham Advocates Have Meeting In WyIam Tomorrow Night, While Opponents Will
 Assemble In Ensley.

Ensley, June 16.-(Special. 1.-The Hollow ing address has been issued in Ensley to the voters of the county:
 On June 19 there will be an election held in Ensley to elect members of the leg islature. to vote on a county courthouse and jail bond issue of $500, OOO and to get the sentiment of the voters of Ensley on whether or not they wish to be arbitrarily taken into Birmingham.
 We have been appointed a campaign committee to uphold the integrity of Ems ley and our rights as citizens, and you are earnestly requested to cooperate with us.
 Ensley is a city of 2O,000 people. Nearly all it's citizens have their savings of a life time here. Should they not have voice when their property, their citi- zenship. their identity and their personal and political rights are being disposed of? Can we retain our self-respect and be kicked into thing? Are not the people of Ensley capable of saying what they want?
 If annexation to Birmingham is a good thing it is the people of Ensley who ought pass upon it. If Birmingham had a wish to treat us right or grant us any con- sideration, why not appoint joint com mission with Ensley, make a contract and submit it to the people here for ratifica- tion
 If Ensley is taken into Birmingham without any contract by Jere Kings bill we would have about four aldermen out of 40 and at the following cost which is only a part:
 Our personal and real tax for 1909 will amount to about sSe,OOO. Section 216 of the constitution says 1000 of this must be set aside for interest and sinking fund on Birminghams old debt. Half of your taxes, s1s,OO0 a year, is high for a name.
 Ensley puts in sanitary sewerage lines free. Birmingham charges 1t up to you. Ensley grades. slags. and cherts streets free. Birmingham charges it up to you. Ensleys rates for domestic water are 331a per cent lower than Birmingham s and for fire plugs s7.5O lower each.
 Ensley now collects $25, 900 a year for license; half of this goes to the schools and half of the city. Take us into Bir- mingham without contract and half will go to that city treasury and half to that city's schools.
 Those arrested in Ensley would be hand cuffed and paraded on street cars or in black marias, seven miles to Birmingham for bond and back again next day with witnesses for trial
 Ensleys school system is the pride of every citizen. There is none better. You have just voted bonds for high school. Pains are being worked out that will give us the best high school in the south, absolutely free, with technical manual and mechanical training that will fit the children of Ensley for good posi- tions at good wages. If forced into Bir- mingham without a contract our high school is lost, and unless able to patron ize Auburn or some similar school the boys of Ensley will have no training to fit them for work. The Birmingham High school will not be able to do this and besides charges high rate of tuition. Are there advantages in being called Birmingham? Would 1t add one more to our population? Some say 1t would give us a 5-cent car fare. yet the Birming- ham Railway, Light and Power com pany wants a Greater Birmingham, is working for it, but says plainly that 1t would not give 5-cent fare. The Water Works company wants Greater Bir- mingham. Some say there would be no street tax. The Birmingham council stands nearly two to one for $5 street tax and passed it three times but Mayor Ward vetoed 1t. Ensley will have no street tax the minute the majority of its voters say so. Some say we could borrow money cheaper, but no sensible man makes that argument. Some say it would make a city of 100000 people. Would that add one cent day to your wages or salary? Some say 1t would give us small industries, but if Birmingham has located inside that city within the past five years anything more than a maccaroni factory we fail to remember it.
 We believe you are interested in our integrity as a city, in our business inter- ests, our professional and our working men, our churches, schools and city insti- tutions and that principle of right, of local self-government, of justice and equity, that is the boast of this great country and we earnestly ask that on the 18th you register your vote as a protest against the brutal disregard of right by might
 The people of Ensley only ought to say whether they wish to join Birmingham and when and how.
 Either of the undersigned committee would be glad to have you call and talk over this question. It Is bigger than any man or set of men-it strikes at the very foundation of our honor our manhood, our identity and our citizenship.
 ROBERT L. DANIEL.
 J. M. PERKINS.
 F. B. PARKER.
 J. A. DUPUY.
 w. R. STEWART.