The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-20
DEARBORN SUBMITS
 VIEWS ON MILL TAX
City Must Look Out for Bonds Which Mature
 After 1920

A. R. Dearborn, well known realtor, has prepared statement for the public regarding the 5-mill tax reduction MT Dearborn is of the opinion that Judge Sharpe's decision is elastic enough to permit of the proper use of the sinking fund to take care of such bonds as had been heretofore issued or that will here after be issued in pursuance of the law. MT. Dearborn says;
 As the open season for candidates ap- breaches, it is interesting to note the
 offered for their kind consideration The extensive domain over which Bir- mir nsham's board of governors is now called upon to exercise administration, was brought into existence in the hope that in combining the assets and ia- bilities of these outlying districts, there would be brought about more concrete and effective system of conservation and use of available revenues, thereby de- veloping more satisfactory relationship, eventually forming a we'll balanced mu- nlcipality.
 ITO what extent this undertaking has been a success. can be judged by the di- versity of opinion that seems to prevail on the subject of handling the city's af- fairs.
 Tn an able communication to his friends and the public the Hon. George Ward, now president of the commission, declines to again enter the race for the office and gives some very interesting conclusions, apparently well founded, upon which he predicates his decision to not again become "a candidate for the office of president of the board of com missoners.
 Tt is to be regretted that after years of honest preparation or expert service, it should be found necessary to enter upon a struggle both unpleasant and ex- pensive in order that ones fellow cit- zens may be permitted to continue to get the benefit of the training and experience that they have been for many years pay ing man to be able to render, assum- ing. of course, that, in reality, such par ticuar servant has become reasonably efficient and is entitled to the confidence and support of the taxpayers.
 SEEK SPECIAL MAN FOR PLACE
 "On the strength of MT. Wards de- cision to relinquish any claim he may have upon the office of commissioner, as result of a peculiar fitness and an honest desire to serve it has been suggested that the citizens of Birming h m, cho man for this special office who can be made to feel that fit is a grand oppor- tunity for sacrifice, and a patriotic duty that cannot be ignored, and that he must accordingly allow himself to be elected, not because he wants the office, but because the office wants him. No doubt such man will be found.
 There has been, and is now, consid- erable discussion of the subject of Bir- an excessive amount, which, under the law authorizing this collection, becomes sinking fund provided for specific pur- poses; and its actual existence is fraught with danger, since it may be illegally diverted to purposes other than those contemplated by the statute.
 Claiming that unauthorized use of sinking fund money had been made, one of the city's taxpayers sought an in- junction against such use. Through this proceeding public attention was focused upon the subject This litigation brought forth a decree from one of the city's most highly respected judges, which seems to have had for effect restrain ing influence against illegal diver sion, and at the same time elaborating upon the fact that the sinking fund in question derived from the special tax of F of 1 per cent, authorized to be levied and collected under Section 216 of the can properly be used not only for bonds issued prior to the adop- ton of the constitution of 1901, but for all other bonds expressly authorized to be issued by some act or aors of the legisla- ture or the general assembly of Alabama, Including bonds heretofore issued and bonds which may hereafter be issued to procure means to pay for street and side- walk Improvements and sanitary or storm sewers the cost of which has been or may hereafter be assessed in whole or in part against the property abutting said Improvements or drained by such sanitary or storm water sewers, and for a sinking fund to pay off such bonds at the maturity tnereO1 ana TOT the pay ment of interest on and for sinking fund for any bonds Witch have been or which may hereafter be issued for the purpose of funding or refunding any bonds hereinabove mentioned as bonds to which such special tax may be applied, provided that such part of such special tax as has been or may hereafter be levied and collected from property situ- ated within what were the corporate limits of the town of Ensley Pratt City, Wylam, Avondale and Woodlawn, at the time of their consolidation with or an- to the city of Birmingham, may be applied to the purposes stated in the call for the special elections held by said towns for the purpose of ascertaining whether said tax should be levied
 DUTY IN GENERATIONS
 'The above decision which Judge Sharpe rendered on July 10 last would indicate that he had in mind the perti- nent fact that Birmingham. in taking nto it's family life the outlying cities and towns mentioned. had assumed certain obligations. to meet which every dolla; would be needed that could be legally mobilized under the existing statutes, and that the statute itself touching this question contained sufficient elasticity and breadth to permit a proper use of the sinking fund in caring for such bonds as had been or would hereafter be is