The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-18
WARD ALSO TAKESA FLING AT WEAKLEY
 FOR HIS ATTITUDE
Declares Public Utterances of Legislator Show Lack
 of Knowledge
DATA ABOUT BILLS
 AFFECTING THE CITY
Explains Important Measures Pend ing Before Legislature-PropOse to Decrease Taxes Paid to
 County by City $2O0,O00

to Decrease Taxes Paid to
 County by City $2O0,000
 Commissioner George B. Ward issued a statement yesterday in which he takes Representative John B. Weakley to task for his attitude regarding the passage of certain legislative acts that have for their purpose the financial relief of Birming ham. He declares MT. Wealxley in his published interviews shows lack of knowledge of the affairs of the city of l Birmingham and of the city administra- tion. MT. Ward called attention to the fact that the representative has stated that the city needs additional revenue and must have it. and yet Is opposins : measure that are designed to bring re- lief
 He states that neither Mir. Weakley nor the legislature has been asked to raise the tax rate of the city of Birmingham, but that the legislature has been asked to pass bill authorizing the people of Br- mingham to determine that question for themselves. This he states MT. Weakley is not willing to do, and is using his in-
 
 mea sure.
 Mr Ward refers at length to the real estate values of the city and states that Birmingham is more nearly assessed on a 60 per cent basis than any city or county in the state. He calls the proposition suggested by MT. Weakley that under his bill property values would rise 100 per cent as the widest dream" and declares that property valuations are high enough. He states the way to keep property from shrinking Is to keep the city growing.
 The commissioner denies the assertion of MT. Weakley that salaries of the c.ty officials are too high or that the affairs of the city have not been wisely admin istered He states salaries have been cut to the bone and that Birmignham is the most economically administered city of the 100000 class in the United States. He states that a further reduction of sal aries would not be dent in the $50oo0 which MT. Weakley's bill proposes to pre- sent to the waterworks and street rail. hoad companies.
 Plea for Home Rule
 MT Ward closes his statement with a plea for "hole rule follows;
 "Mr. WealSley, we are not asking you to increase the tax rate of Birmingham; we are asking for freedom We are ask ing that you do not chain us to this body of death which surrounds us at this time. We are asking you to give us an oppor- tunty to say what we want for ourselves. | We are asking you not to assume that you are wiser than a majority or the people of Birmingham and that they are not to be trusted and that they are unfit for self government. These are the in1 In, submit this question to direct vote ol the people.
 But, MT Weakley, suppose you are right: suppose your revenue Dill does raise all the revenue the city needs Do you suppose, in that event, the cohi- missioners would submit to the people a further increase in their burdens, or if they did that the people would vote for 1t?
 "The most substantial business people of Birmingham believe that our present tax rate is too low The most substan tial business people of Birmingham are certain that whether it is too low or not. the people themselves should de- termine it, and that they are competent to make the choice. And included with this substantial class of business peo- ple is the great body of working people who toll daily for their daily bread, and who are the peculiar victims of the sys- tenn which is depriving many of their children of school books and supplies in these times of stress which the city has been accustomed to furnish free.
 MT. Weakley. in the name of the future of this city, is the name of un- born generations. in the name of the present of our city. in the name of the school children who utilize our pal ks and playgrounds, in the name of the charities of the city which ought to be i, fret al To progress. of humanity, of justice, We q six you to stand aside and let Brming ham determine her own future for her self.
 Let Other People Think : "Do not assume for yourself that you are wiser than the collective wisdom of all the citizens of the community in which you live and that you alone know better than they what is best for them You have no children to educate, and if you had, you are able to pay the price, but the men who toil or rather those who have hands willing to toll and can- not get it, will feel peculiar hardship when the doors of our schools close prematurely in the face of their children and when hundreds more can never get inside the doors because they cannot even buy the books and the lead pen cils they have been accustomed to have free.
 MT Weakley, do you know that evel in the four grades where text books have been furnished free, that there arc many children of the poor who are go- nig to school to- try to get its advant- ages without one bite of lunch to eat the whole day long? And do you know Ithat charitably inclined people have been forced in many instances to pro- vide free lunches for those who were too weak to go through the labor and stress of the day? And do you know that the economy which you so much commend has meant the setting loose of the plague of tuberculosis and other diseases which the city has been trying to arrest-trying with inadequate rev. enues, but trying still?
 And now the little that has been done to save life in this community 7 along these lines must be omitted in order that some men may manufacture a reputation of having forced other men