The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-27
BIRMINGHAM
 MAKES FIGHT
 ID SAVE FUND.
Claim Board Of Revenue Is
 Seeking UnjustIy To Get
 Legislature To Withhold
 Money Due City By County COM MISSION AND COUNCIL HURTING TO CAPITAL
Proposed Action Deprives City Of $72,0OO Annually And Nearly Quarter Million
 Dollars Held Back By County

Flghtlng to save the north and south and east and west highways for Birmingham, an annual income of S72,O00, and nearly quarter of a million dollars withheld by the county from the city, heads of municipal de- partments went to Montgomery We'd nesday night and Thursday morning.
 President D. E. McLendon, Com missioner w. L. Harrison, Comptrol- Ter H. M Taylor, City Attorney W. J. Wynn, Assistant City Attorney W. A. Jenkins, and several minor officials were all in Montgomery looking after Birming gham's interests In the re- ported effort of the Jefferson county board of revenue to have changed legislation regarding the highways passing through Birmingham and to retain all of the ten-cent road tax. Say S144,OOO Is At Staae.
 Approximately $144000 is collected annually in the ten-cent tax on real estate in Jefferson county for road i'm . provement. Half of the money col lected belongs to the city, city of ficials say,.and although the supreme court of Alabama has passed on the matter, the county has not given over the citys half of the tax in the years 1920-2122 and this year. The sum withheld is said to total $216,000 or approximately 'S72,00O each year.
 Road tax money, investigation by city officials shows, is being spent on roads far beyond the city limits, none of it in the city for street improve ment, and in addition the city claims the east and west and north and south highways, as they pass through the municipality, by law on the sup port of the county, are receiving little or no attention, thoHgh their upkeep is county duty.
 county board Of education, city of ficials say, has acted fairly in all respects. the city receiving SS00,0o0 annually from this source, the county board of education having authority to act. But the board of revenue has not divided the road tax, as pre- scribed by law, and the city officials are taking up the matter now to get it settled.
 The subject of the road tax money has been up between the county and city often and relations on this point are reported to have become decidedly strained but, officials say, it was believed adjustment of the matter might have been reached without bringing q third body into the argu- ment, but when, Wednesday, the city got word of the reported effort on the part of the board of reveue to have repealed the bill providing for support by the county of the two main highways in their city stretches, which would eventuate. officials say, in the city no longer collecting the S72,000 annual half of the tax, and in addition losing the funds withheld for several years, municipal officials got busy.
 Board of Revenue Blamed.
 In addition, the city received word that the board of revenue was ad- Vocating a measure to place the city on a basis of an individual in the matter of cases appealed from the recorders court so that Birmingham, in cases lost by the city, would be liable for all court costs, even in- cluding fees for the witnesses of de- fendants.
 Analysis by city officials of the distribution of taxes collected by the county, including Birmingham, shows, 1t was stated Thursday, that of every three dollars taken in by Jettersoi /! county, two dollars of the money col lected originate within the city limits of Birmingham.
 It was indicated al the city hall Thursday morning that the attitude of Birmingham in the several phases of the situation that have come to head, and those that have just devel- oped, is to get to the bottom of the whole thing and protect the interests of city taxpayers in every way pos sible.
 It is not known how long the Birmingham officials who have gone to place the matter before legisla tive committees will remain in Mont gomery.
 There was little else under dis cussion in the city hall Thursday morning and afternoon. and with so many department chiefs out of town, save for routine work there was little else done.