The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-22
GW|N COMMENDS
 JUNIOR CHAMBER
 FOR SUGGESTIONS
Would Separate Bond Issues for Roads and Courthouse. Favors Budget System
 for the County


 Jere Gwin, member of the board of revenue, and former president of that body, replying to the recent re- port of committee of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, takes the po- sition that bond issues for roads and for a county jail, courthouse and office building should be sub mitted separately.
 He favor5 submission of 8 s3,0O0,- 900 road bond issue and one of s1,- 300, 900 for a combination jail, court house and office building.
 He believes the road bond issue would carry five to one. pointing out that the s5,oo0,000 road issue carried 10 to 1. He does not lieye that the question should wait on unwinding the soldier franchise entanglement, expressing his belief that these red | bio oded Americans will work as hard for the issue as though they had | votes.
 MT. Gwin Is for the budget system recommended by the Junior Chamber of commerce and for living inside it. l He agrees with tie junior chamber as to remaining this side of the coun- | tvs maximum of allowable bonded indebtedness. but points out how the county is yearly increasing in wealth and able to bear greater burdens. His replu tn tha iuninr ch m bar raads as follows:
 MT. Gwin's Reply
 To the Public Finance Committee of Junior Chamber of Commerce.: Your communication of July 6 proves that you have been studying the affairs of your county very care fully and have offered some very good suggestions.
 Before undertaking to reply to your constructive criticisms, 1 desire | to say, frankly, that your investiga tions of the countys financial af- | fairs, show most thorough study of the situation, an intimate knowledge of the true conditions and mature Judgment in your conclusions. It Is q real pleasure to hear from com mittee of citizens, and especially of young business men, who speak from l hLO lcdsc Ol lHc real ldElsy anu 1 who do not jump at nasty and im- i proper conclusions. The report is so well prepared and so thorough in its scope that l have given a great deal of time and study to it. While l dis agree with some of it's recommenda . | tions, l recognize their merit and | sincerely appreciate the suggestions | offered. l will endeaVor to answer them frankly
 Separate Bond Issues l think both the courthouse and roads will he built in the next four years, but prefer to submit to the people 6 $3,OOO,OOO road bond Issue and $l,50O,0OO court house and JaiI bond issue separate and the verdict of the people would control my vote In regard to spending the $3,OOO, ,90O for roads and completing the road programme or spending $1,5OO,0OO for roads and s1,50O.OO0 for court house and jail.
 Would the people of Pratt City, Vivian, Fairfield, Inglenook, Boyles, Tarrant City, Gate City, Irondaie, West End and even from Bessemer and all parts of the county, if they come through the above named cities prefer to walk to town and enter a new $l,5O0,OO0 courthouse or would they prefer riding to town in their cars on paved road and use the present building for the next two or three years?
 Growth of County
 First: l agree with you that Jeff ferson county should not contract in debtedness to the maximum, but you realize the increase in taxable valua- ton for the past 20 years has aver aged 19 per cent per year and we surely can expect it to be per cent per year in the future. This will make an increase of s1O,00e, 0oo per year of which Sla per cent would be $55o,0eo and your idea of spending only Sl,000,000 each year Is a good one Gin fact by actual experience we have found that we can't spend judi ciously more than s1.Ooo,Oo0 on roads each year) and you plainly sec in three years time when we had spent our last road money. we would have accumulated more than s1 ,00O, 0Ot ! from our increase in taxable valua. } ton.
 Second: I agree with you that the entire resources of the county should not be expended in any one direction but that is not my object in advocat- ing $3,000,000 for roads. I don't agree , with you that s7500OO is enough to spend for a new courthouse and jail In fact it is only about one-hali enough in my judgment to build the right kind of continuation court house and jail. The present court house cost $500,000 (original cost) and the interest will make the cost te the taxpayers $1,500,oo0 before the debt is finally settled. Although was called very inefficient by one newspaper and some political enemies. will say that when the so- year courthouse bonds came due ir my administration instead of renew ing them for 30 years and paying tho interest we arranged to make then 2o-year serial bonds paying 1-20 o the debt each year and thereby liquidating the debt at the end of 2i years
 Courthouse Can Walt There are several reasons in my opinion for delaying the building o the courthouse for two or thre, years. I think we should have com bination courthouse. jail and offic, building. Look at your present $l, 5oo,00O carbuncle. What will you