The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-14
BeddoW, Speaking Against Proposition, Iniects Person. aIities Into Debate With Woman Commissioner


 opposition. stated tht he spoke against the proposed bonds at the request of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. that one side of the issue had been presented as clear as mud. by woman who, though supposed to represent the commission or school board, had denied the fact and left some doubt as to whom she did rep resent.
 "Most of her argument was
 taken up in defense of her own
 fnilure to pay city taxes and the
 small tax payments by her asso-
 ciateS" declared Mir. 8eddSw,
 whose voice rose as he said, "Tm
 not so sure that Robert E. Chad
 wick was as hysterical as you
 might suppose when he married
 a Beddow." The negative speaker
 then asserted that he would con-
 fine his remarks to the facts as
 he saw them, ntating why the
 $z,O0O,OOO bond Issue should not
 pass, which k the right and duty
 of n loyal citizen with the cour-
 age of his convictions, without
 rcsOrting to venomous or ill., Intending language,
 With an annual payment to the city totaling $232 by it's officials who receive s26,000. he argued that it was unjust and that the city should have those in authority who at mid dle age had exercised economy and business ability, sufficiently to &C., cumulate taxable property to some consequence.
 "You can't make silk purse
 out of a sow's ear," continued
 the speaker. who asserted that
 Abe Lincoln never saw tho in-
 side of n school room, but had
 become one of the truly great,
 showing thnt much depends on
 the man.
 It was pointed out that since 1901 the tax rate of the city of Birming- ham had been increased from 50 cents on the hundred to 150 cents. and that the present issue, If ap- proved, would eventually bankrupt the best city in America, because of suffering from mysteries and bond its" In their last stages. The pro- ponents were depicted, humorously. by quotations. Here we are. darn fools that we are, head us," and. said Mir. Beddow, there are many, in my opinion that are trying to do just this
 Attaching the policy adopted 10 years ago when the tax commission raised the amount of taxable prop erty In Birmingham, s7,000,0 900 an- nually, since 1t was done by the tax raisers. in the name, and not accord- ing to the population or property in- crease, such policy of meeting the bonded indebtedness would make 1t very easy indeed barring the results, for any fool could work out such a basis of payment. 1t was contended
 Quoting from the question:
 nnire sent out to the school board
 by the Junior Chamber of Conn
 mercc. Mir. Beddow showed that
 $70O,OO0 were on hand and that
 $i.0OO,O0O of bonds for schools as
 yet remained unissued, which
 properly used. would build five
 modern school buildings and
 more, since the new PowderIy
 school had been erected for s1O8,-
 GOO.
 "Dou you people really have any concrete. idea of what $7.000, ,o00 amounts to In It's purchasing power," he Inquired, and graphically illus trated that 1t would purchase the Jeffe -on county bank building, the America Trust. Brown Marx and Guarantee buildings and leave enough to buy the Tutwiler residence. T tell you it Is hysteria and bonditis in it's worst form.r
 A chart was unfoIded to show
 that nothing had been saved out
 of the annual receipts of S1,425,-
 GOO for schOolst that the 021O,OOO
 to be derived from the issuance of
 M additional mills of tax would
 with moderate expenditure for
 maintenance, amounting to S7O3,-
 OOOs leave deficit of nearly
 &5OO.OOO; that according to the
 proposal set down in the ques-
 tionnaire. the income for the bond
 issue and sinking fund of S7OO,-
 900 Ia being eaten up, that if the
 new bonds are voted, there would
 be deficit of $SO2. 1000 or the dif-
 ference between @21O,OOO of ad-
 dftiOna1 tax appropriation and the
 *I,222,OOO made up of S4OO,OOO in
 interest, &O4, GOO sinkinE fund to
 retire bonds and $25,OOO interest
 at D per cent on library bonds.
 Other figures were presented show ing the present bonded indebt edness of the state of Alabama was but $so00,o00 as against s11,o 900 for the city of Birmingham. It was also shown that 1926, ,000 would be required annually in interest if the $7,ooo. 900 were added to this. Exception was taken to tho policy of the board of education in 1913 In selling s2,0o0.- 900 of bonds at a loss of 3191,46o when tho bonds of this city have all ways been considered as valuable a . government bonds.
 Saving of $350,000 in interest on the proposed s7,000,0 of bonds. with the tax increase of moro than s10o.- 900 annually from the raise in the amount of taxable property, the amount increasing in proportion each year, and tho just division of the sinking fund. were facts presented as means of escaping such a bond issue and still providing school fa- cilities.
 This electioneering among chill dren should not be countenanced in any civilized community" declared MT. Beddow. who argued that 1t was little and mean to attempt to dra " tho parent and child apart in such manner as to have Johnnie or Willie leave note under the dinner plate telling father to vote, for tho bond issue or thus and so would be the outcome.
 Attention was called to the failure on the part of bond advocates to realize the necessity for other great needs here, as sewerage system, hos pitals, tuberculosis sanitoriums and better health conditions generally, which could not be provided for after the proposed issue. which would place the city at it's constitutional limit, and in conclusion Mir. Beddow said that if the voters would use their heads instead of their hearts all would be we'll
 Mrs. Echols followed with a 15- rebuttal Mr Beddow having