The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-10
STRONG ARGUMENT FOR HE BOND ISSUE Made By G. B. Mccormack and Erskine Ramsay SUPPORT IS DESERVED Work of the Commissioners Has Met With Appreciation and Citizens
 Should Continue to Back
 Them Up
 

That as a business proposition he would support the bond issue requested by the Board of Commissioners and that the request of the ruling body was nothing less than plain, simple business proceed ure. was the declaration of George B. Mccormack, chairman of the directors of the American Trust and Savings bank, yesterday His statement was heartily indorsed by Erskine Ramsay, vice presi- dent of the Pratt Consolidated company and director of the First National bank and other banking institutions.
 The statement of MT. Mccormack was that any business man would feel more at ease to fund debt and pay 1t off in a lump than to permit the debts to run from month to month at an uncertain rate of interest.
 He said: "The request of the commission is logical. It is very business-like. The commissioners have fallen heir to large debt which they did not contract. They have asked the people to liquidate that debt with an issue of $1.300,0O0 and per init them to show a clean front beginning December 15. They gave a concise and exceedingly minute statement. showing in the most careful detail what was done with the previous monies, what they would have to pay out, and what was to be expected as regular revenue. There may be varied opinions as to this based upon the most carefully thought out plan, and I shall support them in the matter and do whatever I can to adopt their proposition
 Plan We'll Laid
 There may be varied opinions as to this issue held by reasonable men who have every right to their viewpoint. However, some claim the refusal of the voters to vote the issue would be a repudiation of the commission plan. I would be un- willing to hastily accept any failure of the bond issue as a repudation of the commissioners. If it fails the commission CTS will simply have to borrow from hand to mouth and from this and that bank to meet their obligations That would certainly be very annoying, and would consume a. vast deal of time.
 "The bond issue, in my judgment, will carry as the commissioners have made a lair success of their work far. We have seldom refused the old council the power to sell bonds and 1t is cer- tainly a farfetched conclusion to be- iieve that the voters of Greater Bir- mngham will fail to give the commits sioners, with whom they are well pleased, the same indorsement and en- couragement they gave so freely and readily to former administrations"
 Echoed By Ramsay
 The conversation of MT. Mccormack on the bond issue was straightforward. clear and distinct. His observations | were concurred in by Ersl1ine Ram say, who was an interested listener to the views of MT Mccormack and then MT. Ramsay added:
 r There are many good reasons for the people to vote this issue
 | "One of them is that the city owes | the money. The commissioners did not | create the deficit. They have explained | fully their position. They must pay our debts. It is better to borrow the money | for 30 years than to borrow 1t for 30, 50 or 90 days. The voters of Birming ham cannot be unmindful of these facts and I do not believe there will de- velop any serious opposition to the | proposition.
 "The commissioners have been slash | ing right and left to get the city's af- fairs strengthened out and they have viewed the situation from the interior They know all about the c1ty's cond- | ton and have asked us as their em- ployers to permit the sale of these bonds. The old council secured the necessary permission often and with out any trouble. We are pleased with this new clean service. We admire and rejoice in the establishment of the comm ssion under the leadership of three men who are so thoroughly re- moved from selfishness, bias or self ag- grandizement. Can the voters well af- ford to pull down upon the ears of their three commissioners the bond is sue by failing to support 1t when the opposition comes from those few men who have habitually opposed the com- mission form of government|