The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-23
Three-HOur Session Pro- ductive of Much Oratory
 and Enthusiasm
REMARKABLE SPEECH
 IS MADE BY BOWIE
Was Opposing Amendment Offered by Judge Hundley to Fix Valuation of Property for Taxation at Not
 Exceeding 60 Per Cent


 In the midst of much oratory and en- thusiasm the committee of 100 yesterday afternoon ratified the reports of it's sub committees on permanent relief, on tenn porary relief and on investigation and economy.
 Judge Oscar Hundley and Felix Black burn each tried to throw sand into the bearings, but after some work on the part of the committeeman the trouble was cleared away, and after three- hours session the committee adjourned sine die with the work for which it was organized apparently completed.
 The first and the only serious danger to the harmony of the committee. however, was the amendment offered to the re- port of the committee on permanent re- lief by Judge Oscar Hundley. That amendment called forth perhaps one of the most eloquent speeches ever made in the city of Birmingham with Sydney J. Bowie in the title role. MT Bowie, seem- ing to lose himself in the fire of his elo- uuence. simply swept the committee off it's feet. Before he had made his speech Judge Hundey's attempt to fix the 60 per cent valuation of property appeared 10 make some impression on a part of the committee.
 At the very close of the meeting Felix Blackburn, in a long argument attempt ed to prove or indicate that something was wrong with the sinking fund of the city. The committee waited patiently for a half hour during which MT. Black burn stated that some $700000 of the sink ing fund had been misapplied and de- manded that some reckoning be made. At the close of his speech H. U. Sims and MT. Bowie, in a few words, explained that no money had been lost and that there was cause for no one to complain, following which the adjournment was taken at o'clock.
 Hundley Opens Fight
 Judge Hundley opened the fight for his amendment with the remarkable state ment that the people could not be trusted with the authority of taxing themselves He stated that ''the power to tax is the power to destroy and there was dan ger that the people might rise up and destroy the hand that gave them the power to tax themselves.
 The amendment came Up after Chair man Bowie had opened the meeting with brief statement of the recommendations of the subcommittees, which had been appointed at the last meeting of the com mittee about two or three weeks ago. When he announced that the meeting was open for business, J. H. 11ornady was the first to take the floor and pro- duced a resolution which called for the ind pf work SuDcODl- lnittees.
 Judge Hundiey moved MT Hornady' s resolution be taken up in sections and such was ordered. Upon the reA1ing of the first section which provided for indorsement of the constitu.icna, amendment recommended by the com- mittee on permanent relief, Judge Hundley proposed to amend 1t as fol- lows:
 Amend the proposed amendment by Y adding the following proviso:
 NS"Provided, That in the assessment of prof aerty within the corporate limits of the cities embraced in this amendment sessed at exceeding 60 per cent of the cash market value thereof
 He said unless a provlelQn was made so that the 60 per cent valuation could not be increased the taxpayers stood liable to as increase of 90 peE cent in
 
 and 40 per cent in valuation. 'SThat is too dangerous a power to place in the hands of the people without lkmita- tion," he declared
 Answered by Sims
 He was answered by H. U. Sims, who said the amendment was unwise beca',at applying to Birmingham only and nlo to the whole state. MT. Hornady sug pested that the people were not go1ns to tax themselves unnecessarily. Dry T A. Elkourie said that it never was (dan gerous to trust the people; that tudg' Iundeys remarks appealed to the iimag ination but not to the reason. lThei MT. Bowie resigned the chair to\ MT Sims and took the floor in opposition [, the amendment. And when he conclude, the only vote for the amendment wal that cast by Judge Hundley
 He stated that if Judge lfundley amendment was adopted the death knel of the committees work was sounded for no state legislature would ever pas such d bill giving to Jefferson count, protection against an increase Of the ( per cent valuation, while the rema inde of the state was still liable to such ac tion.
 '.The purpose of the committee and it only purpose Is to make the people 0 Birmingham a lf-governing communi ty," he declared. "i am not afraid 0 |, placing the taxing power in the hand of the people. I Am here to appeal | the people of Birmingham to take bac the power that slongs to them.
 "We have reached the parting of tn ways. It is for the people who mak this city to decide whether from nov on we shall go backward or forward I plead for the people to be given nor power. I plead for democracy. We hay been trying to run modern clty o a very insufficient income. We can n longer borrow. The time has come t pay up. If the people of this city wan modern city with schools and park