The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-29
Income and Area of Bir- mingham Compared With
 Other Southern Cities
LESS THAN ONE-THIRD
 THAT OF NASHVILLE
Memphis Has Twice as Much-NO Conclusion Yet Reached as to What Relief City Will Ask
 of the Legislature

In table published yesterday by the city commission In It's campaign to impress the citizens of Birmingham with the fact that with it's present income the city cannot operate sue cessfully. 1t is shown that whereas as result of three years of operation Birmingham is $1,000. 900 fin the hole, 1t would have broken better than even had its rate of taxation been 1 # mills on the dollar instead of one mill Accompanying this table is a com parative statement in which the in- come and area of Birmingham arc contrasted with the income and area of five other southern cities. This statement proves. the commission holds, that Birmingham with an area twice as great as that of the largest city with which it is compared, has a per square mile income less than one third that of Nashville.
 Up to the present time the city has rct reached conclusion as to what | 1t will ask of the legislature. It is proceeding on the ground that when the people have been impressed with
 
 be difficult to reach a solution of the problem.
 Cost of Operation
 The following table is a digest of the general fund with cross entries, borrowing operations and trust funds eliminated. It shows the real cast per year of running the city of Birming- ham.
 Net operations of general fund for fiscal year ending September 30: Expenditures: 1913 1914 For operations.$ 997,554.55 S1,05S3t7.6S For invest rnents .. 57,318.0S 55,190.79 For reduction
 of debt and
 For schools. s5s.5aS'os asi,sso.sS For investm'nt and imp'm'nt school prop. 57,706.o5 i6.231.79 For public H.
 brary ....... ........ 100000 TO. .sss.ss s1.4ss.51s.as Receipts.
 For gen. fund
 pur.. total. $1 1.139. 399.4 $1.203, ,2S1.9 Deficit .....$ 312,5s3.S3 : 265, ,23434 Reorganization of three years: reftcit fiscal year. Septem-
 Der 30, 1912 ............ $S59, ,103.49 Deficit fiscal year, septem
 Der 30, 1913 ............ 3l2,5ss.s3 Deficit fiscal year. Septem-
 Not included in above table Is one half the property tax the constitution requires to be set aside for bond and sinking fund, viz:
 s4?414s.oo Bond interest .............. BOT. .215.O0 Placed In sinking fund s11e,s31.0 .0o The sinking fund now holds: Cash .S2.5, 900. % Investment .-.-............. 25,00o.Oo
 s2so. 900. %
 The Comparative Statement The following is comparative statement of five southern cities show ing the amount of taxes collected on property by the municipalities and the Area in Prop. Tax Col. Per Sd. Mile. Col. Sq. Mile Richmond ...-11 $2.137ooo $194,oOo Dallas ...... IT 1-2 1,676.000 9o.000 Memphis ..-..17 13 1,s41.ooo s5.ooo Nashville ....171-s 1.o4oooo so.ooo BITAM .50 s00.0Oo 16,00o A study of this table shows the impossibility of the city of Birming- ham furnishing the people with the same quality of municipal service as Is enjoyed by the citizens of other mu- nicipalities which have from 125 to 12c0 per cent more revenue per squars mlle For instance. Memphis, with ap- proximately the same population, has twice as much revenue for operation and improvement.
 Tutwiler Music Tonight The Wiegand orchestra will render the following programme at the Tutwiler this evening from 6:30 to 9 o'clock:
 Overture to "Egmont' Beethoven. Excerpts from sylvia" Delibes.