The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-06
| l M M l ISSI ] N IS'
 DE F ERMINED ON LEGISLATIVE NEED
Special Conference Called To Assist Birmingham Meas
 ures At Montgomery

To takesup plans for bringing more concrete effort to the aid of senator Walter Brewer regarding legislation effecting Birmingham, the city com mission has been called in special session for 10.3o o'clock Thursday morning. President D. E. McLendon discussed the subject with orricials Wednesday morning and after brief talk with other commissioners the call was issued.
 The meeting, which Is to be an executive session, will have before 1t as enc question the advisability Of calling into conference a number of the leading business men of the com nnunity regarding action to De taken about the way affairs are going In Montgomery affecting Birmingham.
 President McLendon and Commits sioner w. l.. Harrison have come out flat-footed in support of the proposi- tion Of Commissioner W. B. Cloe that steps be taken toward the creation of a separate county for Birmingham free in all respects from Jefferson county.
 T am frank to say regret even the discussion of the proposed separa- tion." said MT. McLendon Wednesday morning, but the situation in regard to the use of finances raised through taxation has become so acute that It seems drastic measures are unaVolo- able. While in Virginia last week discussed such matters with city of ficials of Richmond and Newport News and find that concerning towns over a given population all taxes or city origin are spent within the city limits. regardless of affiliation with the county. It may be best to intro duce such a method here. However, that remains to be discussed. As things stand I see no other road to securing Birmingham dues than separation from Jefferson County.
 Thinks voters Favor It.
 Commissioner Harrison expressed himself along similar lines, sayine existing conditions were so objection able that he was entirely in favor Of separation and that in his belief seven -tenths of the voters of Bir- mingham would favor such action. Commissioner Cloe recently an- nounced publicly that 1t was his be- lief that the time had come for the creation of Birmingham county and although 1t might not be possible 10 get a bill through at this session of the legislature, the time had come to put the matter up to the people ana see their taxes go in the main county projects at the expense of the city:
 Wednesday morning MT. Cloe said: q wish you would make It quite plain that the attitude O. city off, ficials in this matter Is one of real earnestness that is not threat just to make the county disgorge the Bir- mingham funds 1t is withholding. for that would merely be temporary condition and the existing and evi- dent animosity of the county officials would develop again along similar or the same lines What we want Is permanent relief from what we have been going through so the citys growth and improvement with its own money will no longer be re- tarde6 and hindered.
 Legislation concerning the under passes and viaducts which. at last reports. was nearly stranded In Mont gomery. will b a topic of discussion at the session. as we'll as number of other local bills effectin nI> mingham.