The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-18
GETTING READY FOR
MEETING OF STATE
TAX LEAGUE DEC. 3
Organization Committee
Does Hard Days Work
Here-BroOks Tells of
The Meeting

A bulletin of the results of the ex-
ecutive meeting of the organization
committee of the Tax Reform league
of Alabama, held in the directors room
of the Chamber of Comemrce. was given
to the public yesterday afternoon by
Stewart Brooks of Mobile, chairman of
the committee and temporary president
of the Tax Reform league of Alabama.
The salient points of the bulletin
were that the organization of the Tax
Reform league should be democratic,
and that branches of the league should
be organized in every county of the
state In the meeting no particular de-
feet of the state taxing system was
criticized and no particular remedy
was suggested. The whole spirit was
for tax reform, complete and scientific
The bulletin stated that the next meet
ing of the organization committee would
be in the Chamber of Commerce of
Montgomery December s,
In speaking of the meeting Mr.
Brooks had the following to say:
The organization committee of the
Tax Reform League of Alabama has
been hard at work all day preparing
for the session OF the league to be held
at Montgomery on December 8. Late
this afternoon we completed our work
for the present and adjourned to meet
at the Exchange hotel in Montgomery
the evening before the league meets.
'All the indications point to a sue
cessful meeting on the Sd, and no stone
l.. Lee Al In, ha off n
secude the cooperation of every good
citizen of the state.
'srhe plans of the committee for this
session are simply for the guidance of
the meeting and will not be carried
out unless ratified by the league. The
people will be in charge and will use
tho work of the organization commit
tee only to the extent that they think
advisable.
1--WE of the committee, however, have
tried to keep in touch with the trend
of opinion among the membership of
the league, and it looks to as as II the
league will probably take the following
course 1t will first perfect a permanent
organization, being careful to give a
Just and fair representation to the sew
eral portions of the state and the va
rious classes of taxpayers therein. Ii
will then throw the meeting wide open
for suggestions as to the reforms need
ed and the best way to secure them.
IF the plans of the committee are APP
proved the league will undertake two
separate and distinct lines of work In the
first place it will endeavor to secure al
| the ensuing session of the legislature
such improvements as can be planned AND
| worked out in that limited time. In the
second place, and vastly more important
| it will go to work for complete recon
struction and undermining of the whole
| tax systd3 of Alabama. This latter will
be like whipping the Germans. 1t will not
| be Sunday afternoon pastime.
But you know we private citizens are
not the only ones who see things when
taxes are mentioned. At the first session
of the league in Montgomery, on October
is. Governor O'Neal, who Is just coming
to the end of long effort to run a first
class state on fourth class taxation, de-
livered most admirable address, Among
other things he described the tax system
of Alabama as archaic as chaotic and
as a patchwork. Well, when l heard that
Indictment from that source, l felt that
I could not be blamed very much for
having said that our system would start
| a revolution in Russia.
County leagues arc already organ
| lied in "a counties, scattered all over the
state and we expect to have nearly the
whole state organized by December 8.
| "It must also be borne in mind that this
| is not a move 'agin the government. Nc
one man or set of men is responsible for
our troubles, and they date far back OF
the present administration. Some of them
are embedded in the constitution. 1t is the
purpose of the league to try to help the
| legislature and executive officers Of the
state government In this stupendous work
| of reconstruction. 1t is pleasing to note
| that Governor Henderson has ex-
pressed himself as in full sympathy with
| the movement"