The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-31
ALL ASK NEW
 COURT HOUSE;
 NOT NEW SITE
Latest $263,00O Purchase
 Was Secretly Conceived ssS ad Not To Have Been An- } .iounced Until Deal Closed
MEMBERS PLEDGED NOT TO TALK UNTIL TUESDAY
Sale Of Other Park Property For $150,00O To Library Board May Be Affected By Board Of Revenue Action

The board of revenue Is scheduled Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock to pass upon the proposal to purchase new site for a county court house. It Is expected that delegations for and against the proposition will ap- pear before the board, especially since any movement which promises a new court house apeals to very wide circle of people of Jefferson county There were increasing indications Monday, however. that new court house does not necessarily mean a new site.
 Exposure of details of a secretly conceived agreement of the Jeffer- son county board of revenue to pur- chase the block between East Twen- tieth and Twenty first streets, fac ing Woodrow Wilson park, between brought citizens to realize anew the great need for a new court house, but no general approval of the plan to purchase the property for new court house site for s263.000. Through The Age-Herald Sunday morning edition, Lacey Edmundson, member of the board, told how the deal would be handled and revealed that every party had been pledged to secrecy until the Tuesday meet ing of the board of revenue. Then MT. Ferguson was to present his proposition and the board of revenue was to adopt 1t hastily. before the taxpayers to whom the board mem bers are responsible were given op- portunity to express their views.
 o o o
 All Want New Court House.
 As in the past, comment Monday was generally favorable toward the
 
 preferably as joint city and county building. Many seemed to think the county should not have bolted the conference with the city commis- sion. from which D. c. Ball, chair man of the board of revenues and commission, were named to work out a feasible plan for housing the two governments under one roof.
 But the most marked statements regarding the situation which has arisen as the result of the Sunday publication are those of persons who point to a comparison of values and wonder if the county Is not paying an excessive amount for the site. This question blocked Hill Ferguson when he attempted to sell the same site to the city of Birmingham in February. The commission told him the first move must come from citi- zens.
 Tax records at the court house show the property comprising the site is assessed on a valuation of S128,050. according to the 60 per cent basis. Taxes are paid on S76.S30, supposed to represent that much of the true value.
 Harrison FavOrs Joint Building.
 ''The idea of a combined city and county administrative building is in nf persons with whom l have talked since the issue was first mentioned" City Commi ssioner W. L. Harrison stated to The Age-Herald Mtnday night and 1 want to go on record as being heartily in favor of that plan for several reasons"
 In outlining his reasons for advo- eating the joint building, Commits siCner Harrison stated the city build ing is in practically the same shape as Is the county building, and that sooner CT later the city will be look inG about for new structure of it's own. sGould the joint plan be turned down.
 Aside from this. MT. Harrison stated the convenience to the pub lie would be untold. The operating expenses. he said, could be so com nined as to cause sharp reductic n, which would. in turn. be money to both the city and the county.
 If the board of revenue and the city commission can get together on the proposition, and there is no sound or plausible reason why they should net. Birmingham and Jeffer- son county could erect a building" he said, which in point of con- venience and architectural beauty, would be credit both to the county and the city, and result in the trans action In one building of business so near alike. as to be vast con venience to all"
 Think Condemnation Better.
 Condemnation of the site is a bet ter method than purchasing 1t at the price asked. citizens have said. after having been told of the revelations of the records. They point to tho auditorium site deal. where a larger piece of property cost the city only $90,000 three years ago. through con- demnation proceedings.
 Matt Murphy expressed the opinion of many lawyers and other citizens Monday afternoon.
 It's dickens of mess" he de- clared. "The idea of moving out of town to such place. Why the business scheme having to do with the court house Is all adjusted to that situation, and moving it to an out of the way park will mean hard ship for many people. l want to see
 Continued on Page Two)