The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11
BUDGET EDDY TO DRAM UP REVENUE
 BILL FOR ALABAMA
Committee Meets Wednesday To Map Out Arduous Du-
 ties of States System <
 of Taxation -.
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERAL Montgomery. Ala, March 10 !

Montgomery, aiH.t hdrch iU
 When the state budget commission and recess budget committee of the legislature meets with Governor Brandon Wednesday for the purposs of perfecting plans for their investf4 gatlons, they will face one of the most gigantic tasks ever placed on a committee or commission by the legislature. zeaa
 Not only will the commission. which was created in 191s and the committee, which was created at the short session this year, be called upon to make Investigations and determine methods of cutting the expenses Of the state government, but they Will be called upon to provide means for carrying out the platform of the democratic party adopted at the state convention which calls for the re- duction of taxes sge
 In addition, the commission and |. committee must work out plans for the relief of the counties of Ala bama, which have been crying for additional funds for several years.
 O O O Brandon Issues CalI. ..s.
 Governor Brandon issued call Friday for the organization meeting of the recess committee. By virttts of his position as chairman of the state budget commission he will be chairman of the joint commission and committee. In addition to Governor Brandon, members of the budget com7, mission are Harwell c. Davis, att torney general and ". B. Allgooda state auditor. Members of the recess committee of the legislature are Senators H. B. Ellis of Dallas, J. M. Foster of Tuscaloosa and J. T. CaRl-, ton of Marengo and Rerperesenta- tives C. w. Ashcraft of Lauderdafe, Alfred NJ Tunstall of Hale, R. F.. Cunningham of Mobile and v. D. Graves of Tallapoosa. ''t''1
 It Is not the purpose of the com- mittee to begin its inquiries this month but date will be selected for the first investigations. In order that all information needed by the committee might be obtained, the legislature enacted law giving the governor the right to appoint five additional examiners of public ae-=, '00''9' q q Q .iaf To Look After Deficit.
 One of the first duties of the re- cess committee will be to determines whether or not there is a deficit. in the state treasury. Outstanding warrants have been greater than the actual revenue in the possession of the state, but the declaration has been made frequently that state reve- nue which will come In during the ffy,fa fa care for every obligation and to create a surplus In the state .reas- ury. -iu
 Another duty, of course, will be the writing of a revenue bill for sub mission to the legislature at the adjourned session which will begin July 10. If there is to be a re- duction in taxation during the next four years the revenue bill must be so constructed as to provide for 1t. In writing 1t, the recess com mittee and budget committee must give consideration not only to the call of the state democratic con vention for a reduction in taxation" but of the financial condition of the state at this time and the needs of the states educational and eleemosy- nary institutions.
 O O o Bowie Sounds Warning.
 One faction of the state convent tion, while the tax reduction section of the platform was being discussed, warned the delegates that the state could not continue it's progress and a the same time force a reduction in taxation. Sidney J. Bowie Of Birmingham In an address to the con ventlon declared that this means q reduction In tax values in this state of 1850, 000,000 the minute the bill passes and I believe it will bank rupt the state" and If 1t doesn't bankrupt the state, I know from personal experiment and actual study of the subject that 1t will bankrupt every county and every city in Ala bama."
 Counties and cities receive their revenue from ad valorem taxation, which Is based on the states assess ments on property. If the ad va lorem assessments are reduced the counties and cities will suffer. They do not have the privilege of obtain ing much additional revenue from special taxes such as the state may levy. Mir Bowie had this in mind when he declared that a reduction in assessments would mean the bank ruptcy of the counties and cities.