The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-03
OPPOSE BOND ISSUE
|. FOR AN AUDITORIUM
Grave Doubts as to Whether
Election Will Be Held
CAN'T SPARE MONEY
Such Is the Opinion of Judge Lane
and Mr.. Exum Is Dubious-Other
Things Are Needed Worse.
They Say
CAN'T SPARE MONEY

There are grave doubts that Bir-
mIngham viii have an auditorium by
means of a municipal bond issue any
time. in the near future. Opposition TO
the plan has not come out into the
open, but 1t is crystalizng and when
the question comes to a test, If 1t ever
does. there will be hard fight.
City Commissioner A. o. Lane Is
frankly against the proposition. The
auditorium is a good thing, mighty
good thing" he says. but we can't
afford 1t. An automobile is a good
thing for a laboring man, too, but he
can't afford it,"
President C. Exum states he is great
ly in favor of the auditorium, but he,
too, has his doubts about bond issue
at this time Commissioner Weatherly
is out of the city spending the Fourth
with his family in the Carolina noun
tains aud no indication of his position
on the matter has been secured Mr.,
weatherly is very Jealous of the
finances of the city however He is de-
terrnined to prove the worth of com
mission government by at least making
start toward getting Birmingham out
of debt and there are grave doubts at
the city hall that he will favor bond
issue.
There is no quibbling over the ques-
tions as to whether or not the audi
torium is needed. City officials, Cham
ber of Commerce workers and citizens
In general unanimously agree to that.
ic rnpoinU from those
who feel the city cannot afford it now
when there are what they consider
more important things TO be done
first Up until a day or two ago, in
dications at the city hall were that
the proposed bond issue would meet
with general favor. 1t appears now TO
have changed to such degree to at
least warrant some determined op-
position being made to the plan
Il am unalterably against it," said
Judge Lane yesterday. LAS l said,
know it is a very good thing and that
we need 1t bad. l don't believe in any
man buying candy for his children,
though, unless he has already bought
shoes for their feet. l don't believe
we need an auditorium as bad as some
other things. We haven't got the money
to get them all, so let's get the most
important ones first. We have been
crying for money to improve the
schools. Isn't that more important than
an auditorium?
mot only that, but | believe the peo-
pie will defeat a bond issue for an audi
torium If it is put up to them in an eec-
ton And If they defeat an auditorium
bond issue then they might do likewise
little later when we submit to them a
school bond issue. The latter we need
the worst and that's what we should try
to get first.
.Its all folly, comparing us with other
cities in this matter. Birmingham is not
on the same basis with other cities that
are its neighbors and rivals. This Is
new town, a town that has sprung up
almost over night. All such towns are
in debt. We have thousands and thou
sands of dollars to spend on street i'm
provement sewer improvements, park
improvements. school improvements and
all kinds of city Improvements that have
already been done i'll our rival cities. They
are older towns than Birmingham. For
years and years before there was such
a place as Birmingham these towns have
been making city improvements and now
they can devote their time to building all-
ditoriums and not miss the money.
I'VE can do it soon too; we can do 1t
much sooner than they did But we emit
do it now when we need other things
more For that reason l am against H.
and there are many, many men who have
come to me and said the same thing
although they do not wish to come out
openly against it unless it is necessary.
Mr.. Harding's plan about moving he
city hall to Capitol park can't be done.
That park can never be used for such
purposes a clause in the deed will make
1t revert to other owners as soon as any
attempt is made to use it for anything
except a park"