The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-21
CITES OBJECTIONS
 ID REVENUE BILL Bowie Presents Some Inter-
 esting Figures NEED EXAGGERATED Shows That the State Will Have an Average Increase Per Year
 of $6OO,OO0 to Draw
 Upon
NEED EXAGGERATED
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 At the request of number of citizens shall state as briefly as may be con- sistent with clearness. the objections to portions of the new revenue bill. I make these suggestions not as the attorney of any corporation, or of any special in- terest, but solely by virtue of my posi- tion as chairman of the committee on legislation of the Birmingham, Chamber of Commerce, to which, in regular course, this bill has been referred
 It is needless for me to add that these suggestions are made in the utmost friendship for the administration, and with the sincere desire to assist 1t If can in solving a very difficult problem.
 I am not one of those who believe that the state should stand still, nor do I believe that all special appropriations to public schools or colleges should be refused. I think the state should have adequate revenue, and as a citizen I hamper or cripple the authorities charged with responsibility in the efficient con- duct of the states affairs.
 To begin with, I think the necessities of the state have been over-estimated. The first point that ought to be con- sidered in the enactment of a revenue bill is that it should not greatly exceed the legitimate and necessary expenses of the government. A known surplus always tends to extravaganza and waste fitness, and also to the committal of the government to unwise projects.
 MT. H. Y. Brooke, the author of the bill, stated at the hearing last Thursday night, that if there was no change in the revenues during the next four years. and if there was no increase in the ap- propriations, the deficit at the end of four years of Governor O'Neals admin istration would be approximately $700,0O0. Accepting this statement as a starting point, we will consider the known changes, both in revenues and appropria- tions asked MT. Brooke personally what he estimated the revenue from liquor licenses and dispensaries would be for the next four years, as- suming the passage of the Parks bill, which has since been adopted by the leg islature. He stated that he estimated the first year would be $150,000. I asked him what he thought 1t would be for four years on the average, and he said that s2O0,000 was a conservative estimate. I quite agree with him that this amount is conservative The fact that if we get dispensary in Jefferson county the state will derive nearly that sum in this county alone. s-, .s Accepting the estimate of $200,000 per year, however for four years we will have $S00.OO0, or enough to pay the ex- pected deficit and have $100,000 additional. But the appropriations will not be the same. I have made a partial list of lapsed appropriations; that is, those of temporary nature for buildings and the like made by the last legislature, and which are no part of the general ex- penses of the government, and which will have to be renewed by special ap- propriations if at all. I have not includ- ed quite a number of small appropria- tions such as refunding of licenses, spe- cial pension bills and the like, the ag- gregate of which is a respectable sum. I take the following list from the acts of 1907, the figures in parenthesis show ing the page of the act:
 List of Lapsed Appropriations