The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
FORCES PREPARE TO HlJRL ATTACK AGAINST CHANCE Leading Citizens To Fight With Support Of
 City Officials
 @ ---~-s-As------- MOVE IS DECLARED UTTERLY UNsOUND'.
 s--.-----------.-- Campaign Committee Is Ready For Action At
 Moments Notice

Adyecatss of Aayef.aldernanie form of government for Birmihsham nay encounter rough saifinE when they launch their okfensiyA against commit sion rule a few days hehca.
 For it became known Saturday that the opposition forces, well.ofea ahized and full 6f fight, are ready to hit back with a powerful countef.attAek. A mass of data on municipal governments tAr0Aeh6tt the country has. been gather. ed and will be hurled et the reform" leaders, 1t was learned. Unbiased observers say the champions of the existing form of Rpvefnneit VIII enter the campaign holding { decided AdvartaRe, for they got busy the min stA if was announced by Hunter Arm. strong month ago that a. drive to ehAnke the system would be made.
 A group of leading citizens who are not in public office will direct the fight ARAitst the "reforna" movement, 1t was Harmed from reliable sources. This group at all times will have the slr- Sort and advice of many officials and attaches of the city administration now
 Predict Failure
 a I 2 [ q
 'sCommission government advocates !, aAid one Of their leaders, do not be- lieve the campaign will last but a few weeks, if that long. These reforhiefs will find out soon after they set sal that they can't get anywhere,
 "ThA rnayor.aldermanic form of gov. ernntS ia utterly unsound, and we can prove at to the satisfaction of almost eyery intelligent voter in Birmingham. Tf is unwieldy, inefficient and obsolete, And the countrywide trend ig away from ik. 1t has brought on a chaotic condition nearly everywhere, and the 1k0defr cities of AnaNrica are tdfninG their hAcks on 1t rapidly and setting up commission govefnnaents.
 This leader added that the people Cf BirmingAam have not yet foFEotten the .swretehed situation that existed here until the mayors aldefinanic plan was voted into the discard and { modern governmental structure set up in it's placA.'
 1t was announced that canpaien committee composed of several hundred citizens would be rushed into action As soon as the Armstrong forces begin cir culating petitions asking for an election.
 Atlanta Dissatisfied
 "Standpat" leaders expressed doubt that 5000 qualified voters would sigE these petitions. They further doubted that petitions would ever be presented to the city authorities.
 The claim was made that the stand. patters" have in their possession letters from city officials in nearly 100 cities all skttine forth that thhyor.alde deffAaRit kovernnaent it failure and that com. mission government is success.
 Atlanta, leaders pointed out, is the largest southern city now operating un. der the niayofAlty plan. Widespread dissatisfaction pre7ailb there. they said, and movement now is under way to change over to commission rule. Lead. ing citizens from che Georgia capital will be brought here to tell what they know about "Aldermanic government and the chaos 1t causes it was prom. tsed.
 Lsaders of the "standpatteFs" decline for the prAAent to give out all their plans. But they say they are ''all eet' aot the revision forces and are confident they can nuAaoh their campaign into snAitAersens without exeftihs them. selves.
 Citlnens t6 Fight
 one of the outetandihg .'standpAt'' leAdeFs---A former city official, told an Ake.Herald repofter Re hhd been. Abslr. Cd that Hundreds of eitizens would take the stump against this plan to 90 back to, q form of government that smacks of the dark ages.n
 This leader said the reform forces, in his estimation, were following the wrong Courae. $
 s1f," he went on, .'tAey don't like the wAy. things are going, they should lay their plans to change the personnel at next years election. There's nothing wrong with the system. sIt is modern and absolutely sound. If anything is wrong, the officials in charge are re- Sponsible. In that event. the right thing to do would be to change off. ciAls. Any movement to restore mayor aldernanic government will fail. Bir- minsham has seen enough of It."