The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-13
Sensational Cut Direct Re- suit of Recommendation Made by Citizens Sub- committee
NO OTHER WAY OUT
 SAY COMMISSIONERS
Action Is Tragic, Declares
 Ward, But City Must Op-
 crate Within Its Income.
 Ask for Co-Operation

The sensational reductions in the city's expenses announced yesterday by the commission are the direct outcome of the recent resolutions of the citizens subcom- mittee, which has spent several months going over the city's affairs. To those resolutions they insisted that the citys 8 expenses must be kept within the reve- nues.
 Members of the committee interviewed yesterday said they had nothing to add to the original resolutions which were adopted unanimously, and which every member of the subcommittee signed These resolutions and the men signing them were as follows:
 Resolutions of Committee "Whereas. the indications are that the proposed constitutional amendments al- lowing the citizens of Birmingham to vote on increase in it's tax rate. will be opposed by some of our focal representa- tives. and may not be submitted by the legislature to vote of the people Therefore be 1t resolved:
 '1. That this committee requests the city commission to at once make up a budget for the next fiscal year, cutting expenditures to the income of the city for the ensuing year, based on the citys in- come from the present tax rate.
 70. That we are opposed to any further bond issue to pay current expenses, and we demand that for the next ensuing fiscal year expenditures be cut to income.
 ''s. That tho chairman of this commit zee be and is hereby requested to present a copy of this resolution to the city com mission.
 Frank Nelson, Jr., chairman; J. H. Barr Tom 0. Smith. Crawford Johnson, Hill Ferguson, E.. J. smyer, w. W. Craw- l ford w. D. Hankins. R. S. Munger, J. B. Gibson, c. c. Burke, J. B. Wood"
 Members of the commission gave brief interviews on the cut as follows:
 Tragic, Says Ward l Commissioner Ward: Ut is tragic to have to make these cuts in departments which we have been trying to build up, and in which we have taken such pride It will take us a long time to get them properly reorganized in future. But there seems to be nothing else to do The ctl- zens' committee says the city must op- crate within it's income.
 Even should the legislature allow us to increase our tax rate it could not be- come effective untl october 1, 1916. Mean time our debt would keep piing up"
 Asks for Co-Operation Commissioner Weatherly: 1t should be emphasized that in taking the action we have there is absolutely no malice to- ward anyone, and the cuts are to be made equitable so far as 1t Is within our power to make them so The city simply must reduce it's expenses to a certain figure. Opinions may differ as to how this saw ing should be distributed
 We are doing our best and feel that every citizen should give his cooperation at this tme.''
 No Joy at City Hall
 The news of the cut in all the de- partments of the city was not received with much joy at the city hall last night. There was a weeping and wall ing and a smashing of teeth among the respective employees of the city. The police department seethed with gossip as to who would get the ax.
 motley crowd of men stood and sat around the wardens office at the city conversation. Stories that would move crocodile to tears were told by some of those who imagined their heads would fall when the commissioners commenced to wield the ax.