The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-12
MAN REPLIES ID RECENT
 CHARGES OF WARD
James G. Rice Upholds Con- tentiOns Made in Survey About Liquor Inspec-
 tiOn Law
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:


 My attention has just been called to an interview in The Age-Herald of May 24 with Hon. George B. Ward in which I am done an injustice. The interview was precipitated by a com munication I wrote to the Survey Mag azine, of New York. on Birmingham S liquor inspection ordinance. MT. Ward says in reply that it is generally re- ported that MT. Rice represents the Rose Liquor company of Chattanooga" Now, with all due respect to MT. Ward, I must say that I do not believe any such report was ever in circulation. 1 was never employed directly or in- directly by the Rose Liquor company. I have no business or personal rela- tion with that company or with any other wholesale liquor house. I had nothing to do with the filing of the suit against MT. Wards liquor tax law The first I knew of the ordinance was few days after the suit was filed in the Birmingham city court.
 It is the fashion for every defender of any prohibition measure to charge ulterior motives to every man who picks up his pen in opposition to the prevailing fad. For IS years, as quite number of Birminghams newspaper men know, I was editor in chief of the Chattanooga News. resigned that po- sition of my own motion six years ago. The public, however. is not in- terested much in these things. I write for the sake of truth and of con viction born of rather long experience That is enough about myself.
 I attacked the Birmingham ordinance in the Survey because I believed it was unconstitutional and oppressive Furthermore. I believed then and be- lieve now that it is immoral for state or city to try to make money by tax ing an outlawed business I was told by some of the most prominent citi- zens of Birmingham that the ordinance was enacted as a revenue measure. submit. in the light of later develop ments, that it was so intended by the Birmingham commission, MT. Wards disclaimer to the contrary notwith- standing. Commissioner Ward says that I should have withheld my opin-
 ion of the ordinance until the su- preme court has passed upon it's con stitutionality. Perhaps so. However the supreme court has now spoken. and my view of the ordinance was upheld SOI1illSSlOucT w dIQ fiCW was SPu diated.
 Commissioner Ward insists that ] have overstated the returns in revenue from his unconstitutional ordinance
 While in Birmingham looking after accommodations for friends and mem bers of my family some weeks before the Confederate reunion, I called al
 the office of the city auditor and asked sfor a detailed statement of the re- turns from the liquor tax ordinance.
 could not get them. In justice to the auditor, I will say that he was not in at the time, and the refusal was made by an assistant. I saw in a Birmingham newspaper, however. that for the week just passed total. of about $4200 was collected. My estimate was based or this newspaper report. I have the clipping on my desk as write this communication.
 As to the statistics from the city fails and asylums which Commission CT Ward parades for effect. permit mt to say that in the Survey article I ad mitted that these statistics showed { reduction: but I did not make the re duction so large as he makes it. Int figures I used were secured at the new city jail, which, by the way. is the bes jail have seen anywhere in the south The Jefferson county jail is not near SC good. You ought to get rid of tha with can of oil and match. Tn con clusion, as to statistics. do not be lieve that any reputable statisticiai would place any importance in elthel Commissioner Wards figures or mine I stated why in the Survey article. Commissioner Ward seems t. admi in his interview that if the suprem, court declared his liquor inspection or dinance unconstitutional that it wCult
 then be an immoral ordinance. Th' supreme court has declared the ordi nance null and void. Is Commissionel Ward going to keep for the city treas ury all of the money collected iron | the people under the ordinance? Is i moral to do that? Respectfully,
 JAMES G. RICE. ChattanOOga. Tenn.