The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-29
Keynote of Speakers Ad-
dress at Rockford Yester-
day Was Efficiency
DISCUSSES THE RATE
QUESTION BRIEFLY
Speaker Gives Close Analysis of Ex-
penditures of Past Six Years.
Disbursements Have Ex-
ceeded Receipts
BY L.. 6. BETTY

Rockford, January 2S.-(Special BE
fore an audience that filled the assembly
room of the Coosa county courthouse al
Rockford, Charles Henderson, candidate
for governor. this morning told the voters
of this section of the system of "spoils'
which has obtained in state and county
government for the past six years, of the
era of extravaganza which has extended
over the period and promised a more ef-
ficient administration of governmental af-
fairs if elected TO the office to which
he aspires
IF | were a demagogue I would prom
ise you relief from all the ills of govern
ment,9 he said
Il would promise you relief from the
burden of taxation and other vexatious
problems with which we are confronted.
! would promise to relieve you of all
other evil and unjust conditions which
obtain in the state and of which there
has been so much criticism In fact
there is nothing I would not promise to
do for the state if / were a demagogue
Il cannot promise all these things, but
| do promise to use all the energies God
has given me to improve conditions"
More Efficient Government
The keynote of Mr. Henderson's able
address today was more efficient govern
ment, a government for the entire people
He gave close analysis of the expendi-
lures of the past six years, showing that
the disbursements had been far in ex.
cess of the receipts. lit is not the PROV
ince of the state TO pile up money in
the treasury" said Mr.. Henderson, but
to give it back to the people.
''Snce 1896, the receipts of the state
have nearly doubled The disbursements
have been increased in every department
Of the states government
Mr.. Conner tells you that he spent all
the money for schools and old soldiers
yet the records will show that more of
the expenditures OF his administration
went for other purposes than for the sup
port of schools and old soldiers"
Mr.. Henderson advocated giving the
money back to the people. I'm 1912 some
thing like $4,000 was taken from the
farmers in special license tax, yet only
$4,000 of this money was turned back
TO the farmers. Most of this money went
for the maintenance of state departments
The speaker declared that the money col
lected by the motor vehicle department
should be used for the purposes of i'm
proving the roads and that money col
lected from the farmers S a fertilizer tax
and for other purposes Should be turned
back to them.
is II wrong for a state to do anything
that is wrong for a citizen to do? Take
the motor vehicle department for ex-
ample. The license money Is collected
upon the theory that an automobile does
more harm to the public road than a
common vehicle, and it Is supposed that il
will be turned back for the purpose of
building up roads,
Regarding Mr.. Comer's contention that
there was money in the trea sury when
he retired from office, Mr.. Henderson
said, the claim is made that the state
treasury was not empty in 1910. / will
ask YOU to look up the records and see
If interest money was not unpaid for
that year This claim should be either