The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-20
Sees Danger Of Bankruptcy For the City Unless Bonds
 Are Defeated at the Polls

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
 At a time when the people from one end of the state to the other are suffering from and protestisg tax burdens; and at time when the property and humble homes of more than 5000 people living in this city are advertised for tax sale, because they are unable to pay the present taxes; and at a time when the prop erty values are declining; and at time when the wage earner's salary is getting less day by ae 1t seems inopportune for the tax raisers to mail out more than 5000 notices of still further tax raises.
 If you will note the date of these notices you will find that they were all dated May 27, 1922. and were being held back until after the col ossal bond issue. being sponsored by the city commission and board of education, but this was discovered, I understand, and the notices were smoked out and mailed to the al- ready over -burdened tax payer, yes- terday.
 Danger of Bankruptcy
 am just as much interested in good public schools as any mem- ber of the campaign committee to put this tax 1ur6en on us. l feel just as much interested in good schools and added school facilities as any member of that committee; but in my opinion the city commits sion and the board of education have as. 4ro |. gone wild O., expenditures and bond issues without rhyme or reason. and unless the proposed bond issue is defeated at the polls. l see nothing but bankruptcy staring Birmingham in the face.
 Every man and woman in Bir- mingham, whether they own prop erty or not, will feel these addi- tional tax burdens in tko way of increased rents. increased cost of living. and probably decreas wages.
 Factories contemplating locating here will simply be driven away. l am perfectly aware that we need more school room; but the board of education has available-according to the questionnaire sent to Dr. Glenn-something over s70o.000 in cash anc a million dollars in bonds
 
 the time. We have just issued sS,000.000 worth of school bonds and it is now proposed to issue five mill Hos more. There is not single city in the south, outside of prob ably New Orleans tl,at has as much money invested In school property an- buildings. as we propose to is- sue bonds at this time. Atlanta is considered the most progressive town in the south, and is probably the fastest growing. It has more than 20,000 more 'pulation than Bir- mingham and sixty odd million more in property values. Yet all this has been accomplished with an expen- allure of s2,701, 205.1b for school property. Memphis and Richmond each have less school property all told than the bond issue we now propose, notwithstanding both of these cities In reality are larger than Birmingham. and with some sixty to seventy million dollars more pybp- erty values than we have
 Word From Atlanta
 I should like to ask MT. Glenn why 1t requires so much more money to house children in Birmingham than it does in other cities. I wrote the mayor of Atlanta, and asked him the value of all school property In that city. and his reply dated May 121922, is as follows:
 'Mr. Frank Nelson. Jr. Birming- ham, Alabama.
 Dear Sir: The total valuation of the public school buildings in the city of Atlanta is in the amount of $2,701,- 2o5.15.
 s.Trusting that the above infor- nation will meet your demands, and