The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-06
FINANCES
 UP ID TIE PEOPLE, SAYS H. p. BURRUSS
commissioner Says Atti- ttude of Board Is That City Was Created for Finance Department

fcvement finance, Prof. Henry Page
 lurruss. commissioner of public inn
 fovements and streets, has given out
 br publication the following commun-
 tation:
 The street situation in Birmingham
 Present. and prospective, is serious ana
 farming. The streets are depreciating Ina washing away day after day and Month after. month ana year after year fithout any adequate provision for |lalntenance, repair and care.
 Business and material and labor con- &itions are holding up, delaying and
 'nderinS the contracts for paving Reasonable number of the streets of our Hity. The business men of the city
 Ire sympathetic, patient and cooper &tive with the commissioner of public Improvements in his desperate efforts
 Q meet the street situation. The com
 lisisoner of public improvements and
 treets has struggled along nearly
 hree years with bad conditions and Kithout any adequate maintenance and epair fund for the streets of this Breat, growing city with its large area
 .n6 extended highways and streets.
 10 situation has been desperate for
 ong time and is growing worse. The
 situation has been recognized as de-
 ,.orable in the extreme by citizens and
 ity government.
 What has been done to solve the
 street problem? Nothing as yet. The commissioner of public improvements
 s naturally criticised by many people For lack of work on the streets and has ii, .ubject. What has he done to solve i he problem and remedy the situation! :! He has done the very best he could with Ehc small amount of funds at his dis =ecSal. He has implored the board of EcOm missioners time and time again for h larger appropriation for the mainten hnce, repair and care of the streets, without avail. Lack of revenue has been the answer invariably Citizens, Iren and women, visit him daily and weekly and demand why he does not Irepair and maintain the streets. They demand to know what has been done |with their taxes. They say they pay EtaSes and get nothing and loudly de- |mand better streets
 The commissioner of public improve |nents begged the board of commission |ers when the five-mill tax was under discussion to impose at least 1 F mills |of that tax for the maintenance and re- |pair of the streets. This matter was |urGer debate and considerat ton for |tnree weeks or more. It was urged that |is was better to impose or restore s mills to the sinking fund tax, so that ,there would be a sufficient interest |psying and redeeming fund to meet the necessities of the institutions of the |ciiy
 The commissioner of public improve rients finally and reluctantly withdrew the demand for the imposition of l 1s lIlls for the streets in favor of 3 mills fer increase of the salaries of the pub lie school teachers and restoration of S mills to the sinking fund tax with tno distinct and express understa tanding nat the change in the law governing
 that ancient mysterious, mooted and elusive fund had been liberalized in it's sconstruction, use and value
 BOTTLE IT UP
 The president of the board of com ,uissioners came forward on last IN ednesday with a report to the com mission which, if accepted, will close up, hedge about and bottle up this pre- historic, oft disputed and venerable sinking fund save when it is graciously tapped by special construction and per mission of the financial department.
 The request for a million dollars to be distributed over five years for the maintenance and repair of the streets of the city is about to shake and over turn the solid financial foundation of tbe board of commissioners of the city at this time. The bonds for $3O0O 900 for schools. $5O0,O00 >for auditorium, So00,000 for fire department, and $500,- coo for new city hall. already provided fer, do not even cause the solid finan- cial foundation to vibrate. but the very suggestion of $1,000,00O for mainten- ance and repair of streets throws the financial department of the city into a panic. threatens the finances of the mu- Eieipality with bankruptcy and tends tc establish an embarrassing and dan gerous precedent for other unduly ann bilious commissioners who might un- wisely be tempted by the example of the commissioner of public improve ments to ask for bond issue to do certain needed and important work in u cir departments
 "The good conscience of the board would then be compelled to grant the request of every bold, ambitious Caesar 'who might develop an undue and un- bridled aspiration to do something for his department.
 The commissioner of public im- pl movements has been continuously con- pelled to turn down three out of every four requests for repair and improve ment of streets. It is matter of pub lie notoriety and does not have to be specially pleaded.
 The president of the commission, Dr. N. A. Barrett, it seems to me, is utterly mistaken and incorrect in his interpre- 1 lx