The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-31
Formal Statements Issued
 Giving Their Reasons for Stand Taken
ONLY WAY TO MEET
 PRESENT DIFFICULTY
No Time for Injection of Personal Feuds-Appointmenf of Receiver Would Be Great Blunder-City's
 Credit Most Valuable Asset

George NcCleery, manager of the Kress bstores. and a prominent civic worker. land Monte M. Ullman, one of the best tknown attorneys in the city, yesterday kssued formal statements in favor of the bond issue:
 MT. McCleary's arguments are as fol- Bows
 T am an advocate for the passage of Ahe bond issue principally for business bsasons.
 Tt is sensible and business like solu- 0fon of the present financial difficulty.
 AS I have studied the position of tho city with regards to its debts, it appears to me like this: If mercnant has been borrowing various sums On his credit on ehort-time notes at a good rate of in- terest and finds his income such that he canno. meet these notes when they severally become due. his only outcome would be foreclosure and bankruptcy, but suppose a friend should come along who had faith in him and proposed to lend him for a long period at a low rate of Interest sufficient amount to pay off all his short-time notes. It can be seen that this would save him from destruction and bankruptcy. and give him an oppor- sunity to get on his feet.
 ''The city is in the same position as that merchant. and the bond issue steps sn and does for the city what the friend did for the merchant.
 'T really cannot see anything but bank ruptcy and destruction, that would take years to recover from, ir the people do not vote for this bond issue. The poor people, not the well-to-do, would suffer unnecessarily not only by retrenchments in the schools, fire department, police de- pertinent, but In enforced and abnormal raises in taxes and insurance on all prop erty to meet just and pressing obliga- tions which positively must be paid. These obligations are partly heritage handed down to our present city commis- sion, and with which they have. in a business-l;ke manner. increasingly and conscientionsly struggled 10 overcome
 And let us not forget that we are enjoying the street improvements, school facilities, free textbooks, libraries. parks. fire protection. etc, for which this bond issue is asked. and therefore they are honest and just debts ana we have no right not to pay them.
 No Time for Personal Issue
 T feel that this is no time for criti- cism, demagogfc buster or opportunity to further political ambitions or injection of personal feuds. but time to act and pull together and cast our votes and in- fluence 10 preserve and build great city.
 Let us rally round our city commis- sioners and hold up thefr hands. as it must be conceded they represent as good in city government as Birmingham has ever known.
 Someone has suggested the appoint ment of a receiver. 1t is certainly a weak and dangerous solution, and would obviously be a colossal blunder, a dis graceful ending and tremendous dis aster to Birmingham. Surely no one with civic pride or patriotic feeling would ad- vocate this in preference to a sure and business-l;ke remedy.
 ''Then there's the usual shout of tax dodgers. Just as though everyone was not in the same category. It's like the old story of the pot calling the kettle black. The fellow who is not tax dodger should be hired for freak to be exhib- ited at a museum
 ''The whole thinking community knows that the present tax laws need adjusting, but a strong movement is now on foot to place taxation on a proper basis, but we cannot wait until this takes place, and expect our creditors to wait until our tax systems are adjusted
 "Some say that the passing of the