The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-07


 What do you think of the man who either has the money or can borrow 1t and don't pay you what he owes your asked Dr. Russell M. Cunningham, former lieutenant-governor at the bond issue meeting at North Birmingham last night. Hes a defauter, defalcator and that's mighty close to a thief That's the exact position of the city of Birmingham today. It owes debt of N.250,ooo. It hasn't the money to pay it, but it can bor- row the money if you vote for the bond issue. Therefore, if you vote against the bond issue the city becomes just the same as the man who wouldn't pay you.
 But, you say, that doesn't concern me. That's the city of Birmingham, I don't care. Doesn't it concern you and me? Let's see,
 If the city defaults on It's honest debts it's credit for years will be destroyed. It will be forced to cut down it's fire department, its police department, it's health department and it's expenditures in every line. That's not threats, but facts. Does that affect you and me? Would you want to live in Birmingham If your house was not protected from fire, if the insurance companies would
 
 not give you even the little protection they do now; if the health department could not guard you against disease and pestilence; if you did not have good streets and sidewalks, when you could live in Oskosh or Atlanta or any other city and have those things? That's the way the bond issue will effect you. You are the city of Birmingham. The bond issue is for you and your family and your neighbors.
 Means Extension of Time
 If you should vote against the bond issue we would still owe the debt. But if you vote for it we get 30 years more time to pay it in and get the interest re- duced. What would you do if you were a business man, owed a debt you couldn't pay and the man you owed came to ypu and said: Well, I'll give you 90 years more time to pay this in and cut your interest from to per cent?' This is exactly the same thing.
 T at one time thought the city commis- sion had made a mistake in making these expenditures. 1 thought they should have kept their expenses within their in- come during these past years, but when got to thinking over the thing I changed my mind. If they had done as 1 then have the school system we have today the police force, the streets, the fire de. partment, the parks and the many other things, which although they still are not enough, are at least sufficient for the time besng. l see now that it was best to bor- row this money and incur this debt and congratulate the commissioners upon their judgment
 This is not political issue. This is business If you don't like the commits sioners, cut their heads off. Recall them. But don't vote against the bond issue and slap yourself in an effort to slap one or all of the commissioners!
 The city government is closer to citizen than either the state or federal government. Municipal government is corporation. The people are the stock holders. What is it's purpose? Union, strength, cooperation. Money is the capi- tai stock in private corporation; men, women and children are the capital stock in municipal corporation. In a private corporation you get your share of the profits according to the amount of stock you have paid for. but in a municipal corporation every man, woman and child gets an equal share of the city's revenues. A man can be blind and one-legged and without a home and if he is voter fe gets just much from the city gov ernment as the man who Is rich and has worldly goods, his children go to the same school with the rich man. they use the same streets and sidewalks, enjoy the same parks and playgrounds, drink the same pure water, live in the same healthy surroundings, have the same fire and police protection and so on
 Will Go Forward or Backward
 What any thing is-no matter whether its pig or pup or a city or noticng policeman in the audence) a policemaA--s depends on what it was born with and what it does with it. Birmingham was born with every natural advantage in the world. industrial, scenic, climatic, health and everything. What she is go- ing to be depends on what she does with these things. The bond issue election Monday Is one step in what Birmingham is going to do with her natural advan- tages By it's result she will go forward or backward"
 Dr. Cunningham repeated his argument about the city 12 years ago having a $2.000,000 indebtedness and S20,000,0O0 of property values, while today her indebt- edness has increased to $6,0O0000 and her value to $95.000 900. In other words in 1903 the city had s10 for every dollar owed ~-d in 1915 the city has $16 for every dol
 "hat's mighty good business
 lid. He said there was
 IS suburbs any more, f-fL ie big town, there's no 4ate Birmingham or Ensley tH+ .ft any other community
 N siii an of your foot being a
 af lomach."
 a ss1t be part of one whole Ss 1,l ng together for the mu-
 al t til. Let's do away with M hs all be one big town, pull sst t<Eiie our mutual benefit and otto