The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08
WEATHERLY WOULD
HAVE COMPLETELY
AUTONOMOUS CITY
Thinks City Should Be Able
to Change Laws With
out Interference
FAVORS THE BOYD
PLAN OF TAXATION
City Attorney Declares That Making
Birmingham a Separate County
Would Increase Income of the
City 100000 Per Year

Complete autonomy of the city of Bir-
mngham from the state of Alabama IS
City Commissioner James Weatherly's
Cream of an ideal Birmingham. However.
in the meantime Mr. Weatherly states ne
is perfectly willing to take what he can
get and as the Boy1 plan of separate
county and the Sins plan of taxation both
appear to be steps in the right direction.
he believes both should be carefully con-
sidered
"As matter of fact said Mr. Wealth
erly yesterday, II can see nc inconsistent
oies between the plan for making the city
a separate county as suggested by City
Attorney Boyi ana :he California plan of
duplex taxation system, as suggested bv
Henry z. Sims. ] think that the Chamber
of Commerce consistently could work for
both plans however. and attempt to pass
bill through the legislature which would
combine the best qualities of beth.
Boyd Plan More Feasible
II am speaking merely off hand ON the
matter, but it appears to me the Boyd
plan is more feasible than the other. The
California plan is all right under certain
| conditions, but there Is a wide difference
between Alabama and California and I
mean conditions in the two states ana not
miles when | speak of differences. Ala
bama is an agricultural state, rural
state far more than is California. Bir-
ming ham is the only large town and out
side of Mobile and Montgomery there are
scraeey any places which deserve the
name of cities.
Under the California plan, / am afraid
the state would go bankrupt. / fear there
would not be enough returns from taxa
tions on corporations to support the state,
MY dream of Birmingham is almost
complete autonomy from the state. Give
us a free charter and more liberty to do
what we please. Let us change our laws
here without having 10 run down to Mont
gomery and beg the legislature to do It.
OF course, there must still be some consti-
tutional restrictions, such as limit to tax
rates and others. But what We need is
the liberty % change our laws without ir
reference from the rest of the state, tie
liberty to place before our voters for de-
cision questions which arise from our own
cures this autonomy, her way to indus
trial, social, intellectual leadership will! be
paved 1t is coming, but wen never get
1t all at once. SO lets take it piece by
piece as we do get 1t.
City Attorney Explains Position
In my estimation the California plan
OF taxation as recommended by the
Chamber of Commerce finance and taxa
ton committee will serve to further agi-
tate the financial troubles of Birmingham
rather than settle them,'' said City At
torney Romaine Boyd yesterday. I've
got enough work of my own to attend to
and do not wish to get into anything out
side. but I'll tell you there's wash day
coming and we'd better prepare for 1t. In
stead of getting out of debt we're getting
in deeper. We do need an auditorium,
and we do need big school improvements
and playground improvements and a
dozen and one other things. But we
haven't got the money. And what's more.
unless something is done to change mat
ters we're not going to get it.
"Pll tell you the separate county plan
| of making the city into separate and
| new county would increase the income of
the city s200,00O year; in five years, s., ,000,-
! CO., enough to build auditorums, parks,
| schools and everything else. 1t would not
only have a financial effect. but it would
| have a moral effect on the community.
1t would decrease the business in the
| county courts by at least % per cent and
would relieve the present cogged and
unwieldy condition of the tribunals of
justice. People we'll know that no matter
If they do get into trouble they stand a
great chance of never being convicted.
| by the separate county plan we would
be relieved of all the expense of road
| building and other improvements outside
| the city; instead of two taxation boards
We would have one, with a result of a
| big decrease in salary expenses now paid
| TO the two boards.
| And in this very connection Iam COM
mencing to doubt the wisdom of the con-
victs on the roads. 1t is we'll known op
the roads the convncts lose one-third of
| their time through bad weather while In
| the mines they work every day. Nnen We
| are losing 3S l-3 per cent of their revenue
| and at the same time the board of revenue
Is raising tax assessments TO pay the ex-
penses of the system, it looks doubtful
10 me-"