The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-12
CITY COMMISSION ID OPEN SCHOOLS FOR AFULL TERM Formal Statement Made on Methods of Raising the
 Revenue LONG CONFERENCE
 HELD YESTERDAY Street Tax, License Increase and School Fee Increase Necessary to Provide Nearly Quar-
 ter Million

From the city commission was lsSueu yesterday the first direct word on the forthcoming increase in taxation, as in- cidental to the disastrous effects of the Mcdonald decision by Judge H. A. Sharpe.
 The city commission met in the sec- ond joint conference with the board of education yesterday afternoon and with out discussion adopted the policy to keep the public schools open for the full term but to continue charging the incidental fee, and also to double it or even exact a larger increase if it is deemed nec- essary. street tax and horizontal in crease in license taxes was also decided upon.
 These extraordinary revenue measures will be adopted by the city within the next two weeks.
 Following is the statement issued by the joint conference of the city commits sion and the board of education.
 Birmingham, Ala, July Il. 1916. ITO the People of Birmingham:
 At a joint meeting of the city Scom- mission and the board of education. 1t has been unanimously determined that the public school system be run for the entire nine months period. Anything short of this would be disastrous and in the nature of a public calamity.
 While the Mcdonald suit against the city was pending. the much needed re- pairs to school buildings and the election of teachers for the ensuing year were de- ferred by the board of education. The hope was entertained that the school bond issue so periodically voted by the people could be in part devoted immed- lately to the repair of old buildings, that the incidental fee charged in the schools last year, as an emergency measure, could be abolished, and that the teachers salaries which had been so drastically reduced to meet the conditions then eX- isting could now be restored to normal. MORE STRINGENT MEASURES
 Not only are the school authorities in these hopes but they find it necessary to resort to still more stringent methods. The amount lost to the city through the decision in the Me- Donald case is very close to quarter of a million dollars per annum.
 'It is imperatively necessary that the schools themselves bear part of this loss.
 We must, at least, double the amount now charged as an incidental fee in the grammar SCnOOlS ana III lic DlSn SGuOOls'. It may be necessary to do even more.
 Ut will be necessary to impose street tax on every citizen between the legal ages. It will be. necessary to make in- creases in our license schedule and it will be necessary to stint ourselves still fur ther in some of the city departments.
 But these sacrifices are better than that our schools should close for any part of the regular period.
 sr, %@ do &1n. to sacrifice the citys reputation and honor by defaulting in the interest upon our bonded debt.
 WILL REMIT BURDENS
 Should the decision in the Mcdonald case be overruled on appeal, we witl gladly remit these extra burdens, but until then we can act only under the decision as it now stands.
 'rhe first opportunity that we will have for even partial relief from this deplor- able condition will be in the school amendment to be voted on in November. If this amendment is adopted, the people of Jefferson county can, if they will, increase their school revenue in an amount which will materially help the city in this emergency but this relief be available before October 1. 1917 It is our duty to bend every effort to the adoption of the school amendment in November
 Until then, we call upon the citizens of this community to stand fast and to uphold our hands while we maintain the city's honor untarnished and it's school system up to it's present high standard or No more patriotic duty can rest upon the people than this. We ask your help and your sustaining influence in this crisis. Yours very trly
 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, 4
 "ARLIE BARBER,
 U. R. HORNADY,
 ''J. R. TRUSS,
 JAMES WEATHERLY,
 "GEORGE B. WARD,
 BOARD OF EDUCATION,
 IS J. BOWIE.
 MRS. D. J. ECHOLS,
 .J B. GIBSON.
 "E. P. HOGAN.
 "B. M. JACOBS,
 "GEORGE B. WARD"