The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-12
Forum Of The People
COmmissioner Harrison's Statement

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 desire to reply to the editorial in your Sundays edition headed Responsibility is Equal"
 In my statement on defalcations in public improvement department and the responsibl- ity for same I simply stated my efforts brief. ly in the stands have taken for clean gov ernment and that there was a tendency on the part of some to give no creditstosthe in- dividual commissioner for the effort he has put forth in clearing up and bringing to light this situation. That is exactly your attitude and may say that think 1t is premeditated because it is the policy your paper has pur- sued toward my official acts since have been in office.
 I again assert that my record is clear in re- moving employees from comptroller's office, public improvements department, in forcing investigations and audits in connection with defalcations disclosed. My efforts may be termed by you as personal bickerings and trivial discussions" but such a construction 1 is puerile and weak and am confident is not shared by the general public who have kept informed on these matters.
 deny that am trying to shift respon- sibility to the other four commissioners, es- pecially on the three associate members. They can speak for themselves, but do hold that the main responsibility should be placed where it rightfully belongs, on the president of the commission, who is charged by law with the supervision of the financial depart ment and whose direction and responsibility, both as to employees employed and conduct of financial department, was recognized by other members of the commission until the other members were compelled to take matters in hand.
 You are incorrect when you say no actions were taken until defalcations became known. Vnu cHn ,hank hot all kfNSac nt any kind were disclosed until thei then comp trOller was removed on other charges and the then head of public improvements department, now under indictment, was defeated for ap- pointment as comptroller and successor and the present comptroller was put in office over protest of the president, all of which say had a prominent part in doing and for which I say l am entitled to some credit. These were the first steps taken which made possible the bringing to light and clearing up of these defalcations, the disclosures having been made by the present eomptrollef follow ing these events v 1 stated at the outset that was not sur prised at your position. It has been notice able to myself and other commissioners at the city hall that your city hall reporter has been very diligent to President McLendon Sin pub licity matters. This reporter has not been in my office in six (6) months. He makes no pretense of seeing me and I understand the same is true of other commissioners | Now that President McLendons is being rightfully held responsible in the ipdblic eye, your obvious purpose is to put the'Test of the commissioners in the same boat, giving them no credit for their individual stands, and make them equally responsible and cul. pablo with him.
 l I deny equal responsibility or culpability with him either morally or lawfully dnd shall protest either The Age-Herald or any man putting me in the same category or of failing to give me credit for the part have taken in the premises. That is only simple fairness and justice and l shall insist upon it. VIM. l.. HARRISON,
 City Commissioner.
 Birmingham, Ala, Aug. Il, 1924.V- l It is unfortunate for Commissioner Harri- son that words cannot take the place of pub lie acts. His ipse dixits cannot make black white, nor compensate in the public eye for consistent record of public failure, The city shortages are a public scandal which has been permitted by the city commission to drag it's weary length over many months. The initial responsibility was that of Mir. Me Lendon, whose incompretences it is not possi- ble to defend but when he failed, the respon- sibility fell at once upon the entire eOmmis- sion. Mir Harrison cannot convince the peo- pie of his efficiency " words, and it is al- most too late for him to do so by public acts, even granting that he has the capacity.
 The Age-Herald reporter calls at Mir Har- rison's office every day, notwithstanding the commissioners statement to the contrary. He frequently fails to find Mir. Harrison in his office, however, which surely could not be the fault of the reporter. The deliberate state ment that the reporter has not calld in six months is difficult to reconcile with the facts, -Editor' Ara Herald