The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-16
HORNADy QUOTES COMMITTEE REPORT
 ON CITY TAX RATE
Commissioner Predicts Dis aster for City Should the
 Courts Hold Mcdonald Point We'll Taken

A paragraph of the report of the sub committee of the committee of 100 is quoted by Commissioner John R. Hor- nady, in pointing out the necessity of maintaining the city tax rate at 1 per cent and in answer to the Mcdonald in- junction suits, which come up for a hear ing before Judge H. c. Sharpe on June 24 The Mcdonald suits, if successful, would lower the rate to one-half of per cent.
 The paragraph from the subcommittee report follows:
 There has been no question, and,
 in the light of our experience and
 hope of future growth, we believe
 there can be no question, that the ex-
 isting tax rate of 1 per cent is abso-
 lutely necessary to keep the city alive
 and preserve its credit
 The above statement was signed by some of the biggest financiers and busi- ness men of Birmingham, according to Commissioner Hornady, who makes the further statement that it's publication is not provoked by the filing of suit in which an effort is being made to cut Bir- mingham's tax rate in half.
 'The statement was made on January IS, 1915,' said Commissioner Hornady and was signed by some of the biggest financiers and business men of the city The signers of the declaration included G. B. Mccormack, Tom O. Smith, J. H Barr, w. w. Crawford, Walker Percy M. V. Joseph, R. S. Munger E. J. Smyer Lee c. Bradley, Hill Ferguson, c. c Burke, J. B. Gibson, J. B. Wood and W D. Hawkins. constituting a subcommit. tee of the committee of 100 which made a painstaking investigation of the finan- cial operations of the city of Birmingham
 ''The statement becomes of very great interest at this juncture, because it shows how futile it would be for the city to attempt to operate upon the unheard of rate of F of 1 per cent and throws a. glaring sidelight upon what might hap pen should the tax rate be cut in half, as is proposed under the suit now pend ing. When the strongest and most con servatjve financiers of the city say that the tax levy of the present s absolutely necessary to keep the city alive and pre- serve it's credit then proposal to cut this rate in half is matter of grave concern to every individual and every in- terest in the community, and every citi- zen should be advised as to the gravity of the consequences which would follow should the city lose in this litigation.
 AS d mater oI course, sne cily e0 poets to win," continued MT. Hornady, but one can never tell and should the reverse prove true, the people should have full information, given them in ad- vance, as to their interest in the litiga- tion, and should know exactly what it means to them. For this reason I think it timely to reproduce what some of our most representative and best informed cit izens have said upon the tax question and of the futility of Birmingham at. tempting to operate upon less than the present rate.'
 between the city commission, City Attor- ney M M. Ullman and Col. Sidney J. Bowie in regards to the legal aspects of the Mcdonald injunction suits It was also stated that Commissioner James Wea:hcrly would return from Black Nc antain, N. C., next Monday.