The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-30
JOINT COMMITTEE ON SOLVENT CREDIT
 HOLDS 4 SESSIONS
Practically Every Member Wc-~'-' Hard Throughout Day-Urge Merchants to
 Delay Assessments

The joint committee from several civic organizations on the matter of solvent credit taxation met yesterday at four different places and practically every member of the committee was actively at work throughout the day Today ls the last day in which the merchants have to assess their solvent credits to Back Tax Commissioner Allen. accord ing to letter he mailed to the mcr- chants some 10 days ago, and the com- mittee was busy urging that all the mer- chants stand together and refuse to make the assessments.
 George A. Blinn. Jr, was one of ths most active members of the committee yesterday and succeeded in converting more than one merchant who had pre- viously intended making his assessment- Mr. Blinn pointed out that there would be no penalties for delay and that ths merchants would lose no legal rights by holding up their assessment and called upon every one to await the outcome ot the fight of the civic organizations. The firm of Tilman. Bradley X Nor row has been engaged to fight the case of the merchants against Commissioner Allen and Charles E Rice of that firm l Is in direct charge of the case. One
 of the plans of operation probably will
 be several test cases being filed sst ths- same time and the merchants all have | expressed their willingness to be assessed pro rata to pay for the expense of con- dueting the fight
 At the Chamber of Commerce offices yesterday afternoon Secretary Radcliffe of the Board of Trade received several calls from merchants saving they had re- ceived no letter from the joint commits tee and asking that they be assessed for their pro rata share to carry on the fighI Merchants in West End. Besemer. Ens- ley, Avondale and East Lake called over placed on record as opposing the ef- forts of Captain Allen to collect taxes on their credits receivable and reasonably < sure of collection.
 The merchants are systematically going about the business of preparing their data. Letters were. last night mailed to practically every merchant, manufacturer and business man affected by the back tax commissioner ruling telling them what their assessment would be. Many of the merchants have called. in person at the Board of Trade offices in the Chamber of Commerce building. bringing with them blank checks. signed, ready for the amount to be written in.
 Everybody feels the injustice and in- equality of this tax, said George A. Blnn last night. "The merchants are voluntarily coming forward and asking that they be assessed pro rata to pay for the fight we are making against it. Tho going to win
 An instance of the injustice of the tax is this: Many large clothing hrms
 in this city cater to the rural trade and are compelled to carry large credit accounts on their books until the crops are harvested. The merchant is com pelled to borrow money from the bank in order to carry these accounts. He is taxed for having the credit accounts and must pay the interest on the money he borrowed in order to carry the credits. "A store next door to this merchant perhaps does cash business. He is not taxed on his credits because he does not have any. It is manifestly unfair to tax a firm because 1t chooses to ex- tend to It's customers credit, and the mer- chants of Birmingham are showing that they are opposed to 1t by the way they are Hooking to the standard of the joint committee of the Board of Trade and other civic organizations We are going to win the fight"'