The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-14
WARD PROTESTS AGAINST SALARY
 RAISE BY COUNTY
Writes Formal Letter To Huey Urging Him To'vote
 Against Increase

George B. Ward. former mayor of Birmingham, has written letter to Thomas E. Huey, of the Jefferson county board of revenue, vigorously protesting against the proposed sal ary raise for county employees. Ills letter is as follows:
 Hon. Thomas E. Huey, Board Of
 Revenue, Birmingham, Ala.
 Dear Sir: It is stated in the press that the proposed general salary raises of subordinate county oftl- cials will add about $100,000 per an mum to the pay rolls. It is also noted that Commissioners Ball and Copeland are opposed to all raiSesi that Jerry Gwin and Lacey Edmund son are in favor of them. While Thomas E. Huey is -committal.
 General observation has been that Commissioners Gwin and Edmund son, since the first day they took of flee, have favored every lncision Into the treasury that has taken place, likewise many incisions that have been postponed. This recklessness the people know and resent. Their selfishness will be rebuked at the next election. The records show that Messrs. Copeland and Ball have some respect for their heavy responsibn- fty in keeping Jefferson's fine hnan- cial record from being besmirched.
 "will Commissioner Huey, with his fine sense of public duty and his freedom from kinship with county employees, assist these conscientious commissioners in this crisis? One man once, assisted by two others, saved Ancient Rome from destruc-
 "'Brave Horatius, with Spurious Lartius and strong Terminus Kept the bridge in the brave days of old.
 AS a reward, Rome gave Hora- tue as much land as he could plough a ring around in day And the legends do say Horatius speedeaa up old buck when he got going good and then he didn't quit blowing until after dark. And today, 2,400 years later, a monument still stands in Rome to brave Horatius.
 "Commisioner Huey. your vote in veto of this salary raid may not be so spectacular as Horatius when he brained each Tuscan that got to the bridge entrance, and then jumped into the Tiber to swim back as the bridge was cut away! Yet, that veto will be spectacular enough to cause crowds to cheer it on next election day, that day when your two fellow commissioners will be hurled with hurrahs into the depths of defeat and obscurity.
 "The public was raped, while not looking, when the legislature slipped through salary raises for all our high county officials, and knows it. It doesn't propose to have that hap pen again while it is looking.
 Enclosed find copy of re. olution | the public would like to introduce at your next board meeting, and to have you second and vote for:
 Whereas, A concerted attack on I the treasury of Jefferson county IS under way by employees who have been favored over other citizens with positions of profit and trust, and | Whereas, These county employees were insistent in seeking these po- sitions with present salaries, and were apparently duly thankful and appreciative thereof when appointed and
 Whereas, There are many thou sand of disappointed applicants stand 1 ing just outside and still anxious to obtain these positions of profit and trust, and
 "'Whereas. The county of Jeffer- son already has fixed obligations that absorbs it's revenues and leave no funds for increase of overhead ex- penses,
 Therefore, Be it resolved that any and all employees who are rncomfort- able with their present remuneration are delicately advised that resigna- tions will not be declined if presented
 "Be it also resolved, That a bud get be made up and submitted to this board, which budget will place the salary list back to the figures, ex- isting January 1, 1918, and thereby save approximately s200,000 per an mum to Jefferson county tax payers ! "'GEORGE B. WARD"