The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-02
JAMES WEATHERLY AND BOWIE SPEAK AT EAST BIRMINGHAM All Present Declare They Are in Favor of the
 Bond Issue
EAST LAKE MEETING
 TO BE HELD TONIGHT
Speaking at Ensley Monday and North Birmingham Tuesday-Weatherly > Gives Interesting Figures as
 to Size of the City

At well attended meeting at Cum ningham school in East Birmingham the speaking campaign In behalf of the s1,250, 900 bond issue was launched last night, the entire assemblage rising to its feet at the close of the speeches in answer to a question put by Dr. W. s. Brown, the chairman, asking that all In favor of the bond issue so signify by standing.
 The meeting was addressed by City Commissioner James Weatherly, Cam paign Manager Sydney J. Bowie and John w. Sbley, vice chairman of the campaign committee.
 After the meeting several express sions were heard among the crowd of the belief that the bond issue would easily carry throughout Greater Bir- mingham In this connection much in- terest is attached to the action taken at an Ensley meeting last night at which a resolution favoring the bond issue was adopted in spite of the fact that the meeting. it was said, was called for the purpose of passing d resolution in opposition.
 A similar meeting at which Mir Bowie and Commissioner Weatherly will be the main speakers will be held at East Lake city hall tonight at o'clock and this afternoon at 4 o'clock at the Chamber of Commerce the committee of 1000 citizens from every section of the city will hold a public meeting to discuss the bond is- sue.
 Monday night meeting will be held at Ensley and Tuesday night at North Birmingham at which prominent men will speak in favor of the bond is- sue.
 '"There arc many citizens who do not realize the size of this city," began Commissioner Weather1y. "It is hard to realize that it fills Jones valley for IA miles in length and six miles i'll width with a population of between 10000 and 100000 and growing at the rate of 5000 to 10000 people a year. Do you realize that here is a city whose property is valued at $11,00o.- 900? That it has nearly 500 employees exclusive of school teachers? That it has 20O0 miles of streets, 5000 miles of sewers, 25,000 school children and 4S,- 900 children of school age; 1920 lights and 400 miles of alleys? Do you ever stop to think about the street depart-s ment, the fire department, the police department-true, not big enough; not what you desire, but all we can af- ford-which are here night and day serving you in a hundred ways? You don't realize their existence until they don't exist. It's just like your heart As long as it operates all right you never think of it, but as soon as it
 s"That's the kind of city you are living in. This is no country town; it takes money to run it. You have not yet the kind of town you de-. serve but you've the best that can be had for the money and in trying to give you some of these many things you had to have the city commission las piled up the deficit for which the bond issue is now asked. Out here in East Birmingham you had 20 houses to burn down at one time. You had to have a fire station. We knew it as we'll as you knew it, but we didn't have the money and we held off as long as we could and then we saw we had to yield and we borrowed the money, built the fire station. That's what has been happening all over town for four years, not only fire sta tions, but every kind of municipal im- provement. The yearly deficit of $300,- 900 has been pll1ng up for those TOUT years. The money we have borrowed from the banks. Now we ask for bond issue to pay the loans from the banks.
 Something to Show for Money
 'That money hasn't gone into a rat hole. You and your fellow citizens in sll sections of the city are using the things it was spent for
 "Some fellow has suggested that we go into the hands of a receiver. If we do that we'll be disgraced for life. Memphis did it and she'll never get over it. Her credit has been ruined. <. Her bonds can't be sold. A city that z defaults on it's bonds commits an act of dishonesty and is an outcast for ever.
 Someone else says that we should have equalization of taxes instead of . bond issue; that the issue should