The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-20
REAL ESTATE MEN | ID FIGHT INCREASED | TAX ASSESSMENTS Indignation Meeting Held
 and Board Is Roundly
 Condemned STIR PROPERTY
 OWNERS TO ACTION Prominent Real Estate Men Enter Protest Against Proposed Increase
 of Assessments-Matte Will Be Taken to Court

Loaded with information and with de- termination to storm the buiwarKs of the county board of tax equalization, the Bir- mingham Real Estate exchange probably will fire the first shot of their battle against the tax increase today.
 While the board of tax equalization h bored and sweated over books and rec ards, talked and argued with enraged property owners, the Birmingham Real Estate exchange held an indignation meeting just across the hall from the tax assessors office in the assembly room of the board of revenue. The pur- pose of this meeting was to get the views of the property owners and stir them to action against the increase.
 The meeting was in charge of the spe- cially appointed committee from the ex- change with Hill Ferguson as chairman. A number of speeches were made by prominent real estate men and property owners, and it was decided not to delay actions longer and to begin the War ma- neuvers on increased taxation at once.
 TO FIGHT INCREASE
 Nothing definite was decided at this meeting, only that they were 10 cc-op- crate and fight the increase. A large number of contracts were circulated and signed by those present who had not all ready signed up with the exchange ciiuua. Approximately 200 persons have already signed with the exchange, and large number signed yesterday after waiting for sometime to be heard by the board. It is the plan of the board to get as many property owners, both small and large, together as possible, and they are as- sessed $1 for each 5000 increase on their pl operty by the board, and iI case of appeal they will have an additiona, cost os not more than $5. If there be a sur p.us after the cases are settled it is to be refunded, and the exchangs and those in charge do not get anything for their services.
 The first speaker yesterday at the meet il.s of the property owners WIS tie>rse w. Yancey, who has been employed Ly the Real Estate exchange to represent board meeting ali morning and naturally had a great many things to say In regard to the way things were being handled Among other things he stated that a ran had no chance whatever before the board He said that the farmers who came up TtdQy COuluScQ dlO llos hIlOWlHS how to act, were more confused when the three members of the bolri got to cress-examining him with questions. He said that the exchange should d some thing to help these people protect them- selves and that they should act at once, before the board had chance to make any more compromises.
 An enthusiastic speech was then made by B. A. Thompson. who. like Mr. Yam sey. had been on the, job all day. He favored immediate action on the part of the real estate men and property owners, declaring that now is the time to put the ban on tax increases in Jefferson county" He was in favor of cooperating in anything the exchange should decide upon and insisted that they oppose the increase.
 MOTION MAKES SPEECH
 There was, perhaps. no buster man on the job yesterday than Ma; '. H. Mol ton. who came on the scene opposing the increase with the beginning of the board meeting. He first made a short but forceful indignation speech to hundred or more citizens on the front steps of the courthouse at 9:3O yesterday morning, and it probably was through his effort that the meeting was called in the board of revenue offices yesterday afternoon. During this session he was by far the most active member on advocating ac- tion on the part of the exchange. He made several speeches, to be exact three, in which he outlined his personal views in a rather striking manner. In the course of one of his talks he referred to the Motion corner, which, he alleges, is assessed at more than twice the cash value of the property. He said that the most he had been offered was s90,0o0 for this property, yet one of the members of the board had told him he heard he had refused $190000 for it. He said that he had had such an offer, but that 1t was made by persons who did not wish to pay cash Ha said thex wanted to give him