The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-20
Present Government of Bir- mingham Most Efficient
 City Ever Had, He Says
WOULD TEAR DOWN
 SCHOOL SYSTEM
Making Elective of Office Which Does Not Pay a Cent Would Have De- leterious Effect on Personnel
 of the Board of Education


 c. P. Beddow. the well known loca' attorney, presents an argument against the plan of the legislative delegation from Jefferson county to increase tn, number of city commissioners iron three to five.
 He declares that the present govern ment in Birmingham is the most eco nomical, most efficient and most Ire, from graft which has ever obtained here. He scores heavily against tn, ve-commissioner bill by pointing ou the fact that the proposed reduction In salary and necessity of electing fiv, commissioners at one time would pro duce field of candidates numbering from 75 to 100 and thus make possibl, the election of men of questionable mo. tives; and by proving that the proyi- sions of the bill would tend to destroy the excellent school system which un- der the present plan has been buildeo up in that the new order of things would thrust local education into pol. itics.
 MT. Beddow writes:
 q have read with interest the recent communications of Hon. Walker Percy and Hon. Thomas J. Judge. I agree witt both of them that we have honest, high minded men in the city commission. agree particularly with Senator Judge who says that two of them were elected directly by the people and the other, al though appointed was the undoubteo choice of the people.
 But I disagree with both of them thai fh,a 1ift trat raf.f,r, ic fnn potent or is in need of any radical change in its structure. We have three men o1 unusual capacity and of unquestionec character and courage. The trouble whicl we find with the commission is not in its personnel or in the manner with whicl they have discharged their duties, but i' due entirely to the lack of funds witf which to operate a modern city as a mod ern city should be operated.
 City Tax Rate Too Low 'It has been repeatedly stated, ant ought now to be thoroughly understood that for the general purposes of the cit, government we have a tax rate fixet by the constitution of Alabama of 1875 fo municipal corporations of the village class in which category Birmingham then was The only towns of the state which ha, any pretentions of standing outside O l the village class at that time were Mo bile Montgomery and Selma, all of whicl were given a much higher rate of tax ation. You cannot make bricks withou straw You cannot build a modern cit upon a village basis. You cannot hay what modern city wants and what modern city ought to possess without pay l ing the price, and it doesn't matter wh l is in charge of the city government the re suit will always be the same.
 l 'rThere is a Fundamental difference 0 | opinion here as everywhere as to tn l things city ought to do. small minor i iitty ooff ooff honest men with undoubted patrl otic impulses, but with unprogressive nc tions want the Birmingham of 1915 to sti run on the basis of the Birmingham c 1875. That is because they have neve seen the fundamental advantages whic good streets, which ample school facilities which ample park and playgrounds. whie ample health and sanitation facilitie would bring. They look upon all taxatio as burden, instead of an investmen They look upon all money that is paid fo public purposes as wasted, and they SC no return in the products of a moder lefty government.
 These men are in a small minority Birmingham and everywhere, but they al honest, sincere and patriotic. They thin that the city government has been fai
 ure, because. without sufficient revenue 1t has been compelled to run somewhat bt hind, and it has disappointed some of Ii friends in not being able to do all Il
 things that they wanted them to d Notwithstanding these handlcaps, I sa.
 without hesitation. that we now have tl
 most economical and efficient governmei
 we have ever had in the history of Bil
 mingham. There is not a suspicion
 graft anywhere in the city hall, and u heads of the different departments al
 men who justly receive the confidence { the people.
 we may disagree with the commissio
 and some of us do, in particular matter of detail such as public ownership
 certain utilities, like the waterworks ar
 lighting plant. as well as other matte
 that might be mentioned. But so far { the actual operations of the commissic government Is concerned, having regal
 for the money which they had to spen commission form of government has bee a distinct. and in my judgment. an Ill qualified success. I am, therefore, ol posed to any fundamental change in oi present form of government. I am e pecially opposed to the provisions for fl,
 commissioners all to be elected at or
 time.
 Real Merit Lost Sight Of
 Tn the first place. there is no saving
 the salaries. In the second place, u
 very best feature of the present plan
 that 1t provides for the election of or
 commissioner at a time. If there Is ar
 opposition to that specific commissions
 it can manifest itself, and if he Is III
 worthy, incompetent and unfit, he can
 defeated. On the contrary, if he
 worthy, competent and fit, he Is likely
 sn election of that kind to be vindicate
 by the people. If five are elected at or
 time it Is a mere lot of political Jocke.
 ing and no man living could guess whs