The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-28
Thinks It Wrong for City to Pay so Much to County
 and State
WILL TELL PEOPLE
 OF THE INJUSTICE
Even Equalization Does Not Solve the Trouble as the City Gets Only S1 Out of
 Each S2.35

Home rule for Birmingham.
 This is the idea of Commissioner Arlie Barber, and in accordance with his the ory he plans a wide campaign of pulp licity and propaganda amongst the loeal electorate.
 Commissioner Barber first made known his plans on Friday afternoon. He stated then that what Birmingham needed most of all was new charter which would give in effect home rule. He also ad- vocated a separate county for this city.
 This at once started discussion, and it soon developed that Commissioners Weatherly, Truss and Hornady were heartily in favor of the project and that Commissioner Ward would continue to occupy his favorite role of censor to the enthusiasm of his colleagues.
 From the further discussion of the pans of Commissioner Barber for a sepa- rate county yesterday throughout the city hall it appears that as son as severl other matters are cleared up the head of the department of public safety will start making street speeches in an eff fort to educate the pubic to the gravity of the financial situation of the city of Birmingham and how such ills are the direct result of the city's paying the taxes of the state.
 USE MONEY FOR CITY
 The idea of Commissioner Barber is that all the money paid in taxation by Bir- mingham citizens should be used for the benefit of this city. The present system of turning over to the county over half of the taxes received by the city is very distasteful to Commissioner Barber, and he is very vigorous in denouncing such system of inequality and discrimination. He attributes all of the financial ills of the city to this state of affairs.
 In his campaign among the people for a separate county and a new charter for the city Commissioner Barber will urge that Governor Henderson call g. special session of the legislature for the relief of Birmingham.
 50 we will have to wait four years more for possible relief said Commis- sioner Weatherly.
 Commissioner Ward said that it was 8 matter that rested entirely with the peo- pie If properly managed campaign of education were started and consistently maintained it was likely suggested the president of the city commission, that a constructive legislative delegation might be elected for the next term of the leg islature and then Birmingham might se- cure some relief.
 Well, we'll give the people the facts about the case anyway said Mir. Barber, 'the citnzens should know that over 5C per cent of their taxes go to the benefit of the state and county"
 TOO MUCH EQUALIZATION
 
 expressed that the county equalization board is going to ''equalize" so much that the city will in fact be paying half the taxes of the state in the near fu- ture The present tax valuations of $95 000O00 are going to be raised at least $100- 0000O0 at the very least is the inside in- formation at the city hall.
 In fact, it is stated that the county equalizing board and the two city ex- perts are so agreed in their raises that they are now working together harmoni- ously to the future embarrassment of taxpayers.
 In consideration of the fact that the county equalizers are going to raise everything in sight, even the commits sioners who were elected on an "equal- izing plank" are beginning to feel that after all the equalization of taxes is a very excellent thing for the county and state, but will impoverish the city still further
 As one commissioner said: Whats the use of gouging the taxpayers again for the benefit of the state and county? Every dollar the city will get, the state and county will get $1.35, so we are bound to come out the small end of the hole anyway. What we really need is home rule, a separate county and Bir- mingham taxes for the benefit of Bir- mingham."
 Anyway whatever the equalizers do, Commissioner Arlie Barber proposes to keep rather busy for the next few months raising old Nick about home rule for Birmingham.
 K'Let that be our motto: Home Rule for Birmingham, v said MT. Barber.