The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-22
BROYLES HAS MEETING
Claims Commission Has Squandered
 the Public's Money

Declaring that the preSenC city commission has squandered between $4,0o0,000 and s5,o00,000 of the public funds because of ignorance of proper business methods, and stressing the need of placing men in official posi- tions who are capable of handling financial affairs. w. o. Broyles, can ddate for the presidency of the city commission, addressed an audience last night at the courthouse
 In opening his remarks, MT. Broyles said that he is the only can didate for the presidency of the city commission who will be denoted If elected, in that he already makes much more money from his business than he would from his salary as city commissioner His only reason for offering for office, he declared was that he felt that the city of Bir- mingham needed d business man in charge of the financial department of the city government.
 Scoring pr. Barrett and Prof Bur russ as being inefficient in their ad- ministration, Mir Broyles said the trouble with them was that Athey threw away the talents which had teen given them and were atten pt- ing to do something for which they are not qualified. Professor Burruss should have kept to his school and Dr. Barrett should continue to cure stomach ache" the speaker de- clared.
 What can we expect from two men who do not, even know the du- tios of their office?" MT. Broyles asked. ''The law placing the construc- ton of public buildings in Professor Burruss' department is as plain as the nose on your face, yet they con fess they were ignorant. and Dr. Bar rett in his speech tries to condone his own fault by saying that Profess ' sor Burruss did not know either. The auditorium will never be built until some business men are placed in the city hall,''
 Has Financial Statement
 Holding up the financial statement of the city, which he referred to ,as "the book" Mir. BroylesA declared that he could prove that the present commission has squandered between $4,N00,G00 and S5,eee ono .:. the past four years because of bad business methods. He asserted that Dr. Bar rett and Professor Burruss had re- fused to meet him on the stump be- cause they knew that he would bring forth the book" and show it on them The speaker declared that the following transactions had cost the city thousands of dollars:
 Spending $27 ,000 to investigate the telephone question With the result that the phone rates in Birmingham were doubled.
 Spending s25,000 for lobby at the state legislature, with the result that the salaries of the city commission were raised.
 Spending sSe.oo6 year in lawyers fees, while many of the lawyers never appeared in the courtroom.
 Selling the mules owned by the city, and. substituting Fords, and then because the streets were too rough to make automobiles practi- cable, selling the Fords and buying 1.-the mules back at a much larger price. with loss t. the city of $7S.00O.
 Buying hogs for $50 piece and then selling them for sl7.
 Building of viaduct The greatest single amount thrown away, the speaker declared was about S5o0.o0o spent bX the city to cons,uct the Twenty first street via duet. He said the law made it the duty of the railroads to construct the viaduct without cost to the city but the present commission had all lowed group of big lawyers to fool them into paying 4O per cent of the cost, amounting to nearly a half mil l. lion dollars.
 Mir. Broyles asserted that there were many other business blunders which. have cost the city great deal during the past administration. . "Dr. Barrett was elected by the church people of the city because he promised that he would clean up moral conditions. yet there are three places within two blocks of where stand that liquor is being sold" Mr. Broyles said, lie can't walk to the postoffice or to the First Methodist church without passing such places as these"
 Mir. Broyles closed by promising