The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-15

city. county or state We of Jefferson County uesire pay our Iuii saa.e ol tie taxes necessary Ior all eiuclent administrator of tue 5Cate soy ernInel4t; and Ne welcome all legitimate increases ln our tax values. What We ale protesting asalnst, and are determined to end, is:
 l. The arbitrary manner in which our tax values fixed by the State Tax Commis- sion.
 ?. The spasmodic and uncertain raises in our assessments by a County Back Tax Commissioner who receives fee of ten per cent on all raises, and whose judgment is clouded and biased by pecuniary considera- tions.
 8. The persistent effort to create pre- judice against Birmingham and Jefferson County for political purposes
 f. The attempt to abridge our rights of local self-government.
 This One Fact Proves the Justice of Our
 Cause
 How well founded is our opposition to the present system of taxation and how well grounded our fears as to future encroach- ments under this system, is revealed in the fact that Jefferson County, which is credited with only one-tenth of the wealth of the State and one-tenth of the population, is to- day paying over two-tenths of the taxes col lected by the State.
 Now put yourselves in our place-you peo- ple of any county in Alabama. Would you consent to bear such an unequal load? Would you submit to the injustice which 1t implies? NO! Your only comment is why have you people of Jefferson County submitted to it so long and patiently? We tell you as free men that you are not only justifiable for your resistance, but censur- able for not having begun it years ago." This injustice to Jefferson is lnjuring All
 Alabama
 In reply we would say: While the cond tion against which we are reyolting does not obtain in your county at present, you are suffering directly in some way from the injustice which is being inflicted upon lief ferson. The tax money which you contrib ute to the State Treasury, well as ours, is being expended unwisely, If not wasted, because the excess and unjust revenue de- rived from us which carries with it respon- sibility only to a limited number of voters, encourages the passage of many appropria- ton bills without proper debate and the creation of offices without due considera- ton of their needfuness and usefulness.
 In line with this, your State Treasurer says he will have to face a deficit of one million dollars at the expiration of the cur rent year. and attributes it to extravagant appropriation bills and the creation of unnec- essary offices Truly, it is time to wake up!
 If we had the space we could show you how the injustice to Jefferson is affecting you injuriously in other ways-in ways that are repugnant to your manhood and sense of independence, and which you have not re- sented because they have not been made plain to you. We may point them out in subsequent article.
 We have said enough however, to con- vince you that we are right in our resistance to increases in our tax assessments under existing conditions, and that you have a vital interest in the reform which we are endeavoring to bring about in the system of taxation.
 Injustice to any city, county or section of Alabama is bar to the unity, progress and prosperity of the State. Let us have none of it anywhere within our borders