The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-11
Street Tax, School Fees and Higher Licenses Are the
 Means Proposed
NEED $246, ,000 MORE
 TO PAY IN INTEREST
Separate Taxing District Looked Upon By Many as Only Ultimate So-
 lution of Difficulty
By RICHARD E. LESSER

Big forward looking citizens that they are. the city commissioners hitched their belts a notch or two tighter yes terday afternoon when their attorneys announced to them that the final order of Judge H. A. Sharpe had knocked all their financial props from under their feet and the characteristic state- ment was at once made by President George B. Ward:
 "We are merely blocked-not whippedp'
 In fact Commissioner Ward at once began planning on how best to circum- vent the intentions of the enemy by providing the means to pay the in terest charges on bonds now out standing, and also to operate the city within its income as made mandatory by law
 This means the raising of about $246,- 900 in additional revenue.
 All five of the commissioners are very much in earnest in seeking to inn press upon the general public that they have no desire to unduly tax the com munity, but if the city must continue to operate, additional revenues must be provided and everyone must come periodically forward and help to bear the burden.
 $5 STREET TAX
 A street tax of at least $5 for each male is contemplated and the city com missioners believe that about 25000 men will be affected by this, which means a yearly revenue of about $125,000, less the cost of collection, estimated at about $5O00, or less.
 That would still leave about $125, 900 to be provided and it is proposed to raise this sum through the charging of incidental fees to the school chil- dren and by horizontal raise of all city licenses by about 50 per cent.
 Other than the street tax, incidental school fees raise in licenses it is likely that further economies will be necessary in the police and fire de- partments, and in the school depart ment. Cuts in all official salaries are contemplated in order that the city may continue to operate without de- faulting on the payment of interest on its outstanding bonds.
 THE BOARD MEETS
 Yesterday afternoon the board of edu- ation met with the city commission ln executive session in President Wards of- flee Immediately after the meeting MT Ward wrote the following statement for The Age-Herald:
 Owing to the seriousness Of the
 situation, the city commission and the
 board of education held a joint and prolonged meeting to discuss the effect of Judge Sharpe's decision on the citys finances, with particular refer ence to its bearing on the operations of the public schools for the ensuing term.
 -'.The joint boards hope to find some solution of the problem, and to that
 end are holding the matter under ad-
 visement and study pending further
 meeting at o'clock Tuesday after
 noon."
 All who attended the meeting attested the seriousness of the situation that faces Birmingham, but all stated that the city commission was made up of men ot indomitable courage and initiative. and that some solution to the present chaotic financial conditions of Birmingham Will De found within a short time. Optimism had clearly displaced the gloom Of last Sat urday afternoon, when the purport of Judge Sharpes decision was first made known
 CLEARS THE ATMOSPHERE
 Citizens who conferred with the city commissioners yesterday gave it as thelI opinion that the Mcdonald suit clarl1leo the atmosphere, and now the work oi reconstruction could proceed without hin- drance. It was pointed out that the only solution to the problem was separate taxing district for Birmingham, as no matter what happened at the present time the local taxpayers paid $2.35 in taxes, o1 which they received in service from the city 50 cents, or about 20 per cent of what they paid out.
 Who gets the difference? The county and the state.
 No matter how much the city Of Blr- mingham may tax its merchants, raise III incidental fee for school purposes or im- position of a street tax the citizens of the municipality will still be paying S2.oo in property taxes, of which the city will receive 50 cents. This is pointed out as the real solution of the problem. Let the citizens be awakened to the fact that they are not supporting the city or BIT mingham, but Jefferson county, and most of the state, and the separate taxing dls- trict idea will become more popular amongst the property owners. At least If the separate taxing district idea prevailed even if the tax rate remained at S235 the nroperty owners would have the satisfac- tion of knowing that all of this money went into the city coffers for much needed city improvements.
 Under a separate taxing district the imposition of city licenses would also be discontinued, which alone would mean big gain for the merchants and business men.
 In other words it is pointed out the continuance of the policy to add taxes on the citizens in order to keep the city of Birmingham solvent is only temporary relief to which added taxes are an in- heritance every few years. For perma- nent relief the city must break away from the county and form a separate tax ing district of itself
 A MONSTER CAMPAIGN
 The separate taxing district idea was thoroughly discussed at the offices of the city commission yesterday after noon. It was advanced that if a cam paign was started at once. headed by all of the progressive leaders of the city, and the city commissioners, and clean breast was made of the fact that Birmingham was financially up against it. Gov. Charles Henderson would be sufficiently impressed to call a special session of the legislature to enact constitutional amendment for the permanent relief of the munich pality. The governor it was stated, had nothing but the interest of Bir-