The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-30
HIGH INDIGNATION EXPRESSED AT B|G WEST END MEETING Recent County Tax Raises Branded as Unjust
 Discrimination T. H. MOTION MAKES
 PRINCIPAL SPEECH MT. Motion Presents Data Which He States Proves Jefferson County Is Being Unfairly Dealt
 With-Other Speakers
 

Each word was keen and cutting, every man was bristling with what he holds Is a righteous indignation and all of them fell in line in one mighty effort to prevent the proposed tax increase of Jefferson county at a mass meeting of the citizens of Beat at West End last night.
 The meeting began at s o'clock at the Odd Fellows hall and was largely att tended. The clarion call issued few days ago by a small committee of citl- zens for the remainder of the citizenship to meet with them last night was nobly responded to-, and as a result a meeting which Is rarely rivalled in spirit and zest was held.
 President W. c. Gewin of the commit tee presided over the meeting. At the opening, in a few well chosen words, he summed up the situation and explained the purpose of the meeting. He laid espe- cial stress upon the fact that the raise in taxes would affect not only tbe large. rich corporation, but the poor man as well, despite statements to the contrary. His speech was just enough to get the enthusiasm of the crowd stirred up. Speaker after speaker followed Dr. Gewin, each expressing the firm belief that the raise in taxes was not from a patriotic and loyal standpoint. Words were not minced and the names of J. " Allen and J. Lee Long were mentioned with a disquieting frequency.
 Motion Main Speaker The feature speaker of the evening was T. II. Motion, one of the wealthiest individual land owners in the county, and who also has large holdings in Beat g, of which West End Is the principal borough. He appeared at the meeting by an urgent invitation from the committee formed to conduct the fight for Beat g. Mir Motion is a mem Der of the present O'Neal legislature. He was greeted with a storm of ap- plause as he took the rostrom and hls speech was punctuated with thunder ous applause by his hearers. HIS speech was not made from perfume tory point of view but the intense feel ing could be noted in .ns voice as he spoke.
 MT. Notions Speech The subject of MT. Notions address was, "Is Jefferson County Discriminated Agalnst III lHAdtipn nc Sa'u m P... | as follows:
 'rhe state auditors annual report last published is for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1910.
 ''1his report shows that for the tax year 1910 the state received from all sources 8, 425,O97.05. Of this amount it re- ceived direct from the 67 counties S, ,Gs5, ,729 .06, and from convicts and all other sources i,769, 367 go. The greater part of the last named amount came out os Jefferson county, but not in the nature of taxes.
 The report shows the expenditures of the state for 1910 to be s5,693, 432 .52, leaving deficit of over s270,0OO.
 "Of the expenditures by the state, B. S9i, ,563 30 was returned direct to the 61 counties, in public school and soldiers pension funds, the same being raised by taxation by the state for the specific pur- pose to which they were applied, and are in the nature of an enforced donation from property owners: the state, for the purposes of administering government, receiving no benefits therefrom.
 "Subtracting this last named sum from the total expenditures of the state. 1t will be seen that the total expense of the state government for 1910 was $2,T93 869 22, in= cluding appropriations, interest on bonds and all other expenses, and after deduct ing from said sum $l,769, ,3S7 90. available from sources other than taxes paid by the people as shown above, 1t will be seen that the excess expense of the state for 1910 was sl,034 .23 and direct charge upon the property owners of the state be- ing about 70 cents per capita, and for which the state furnishes to the whole people the protection afforded by the state government. This pays the expenses of courts. salaries for judges, solicitors and numerous other expenses.
 Eleven Counties Bear Burden
 Taking into consideration the expenses OF the state government for the benefit of the several counties the report shows that