The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-31
REVENUE BOARDS FACE QUANDARY
 AS TO FINANCES
Unable To Determine Plan Whereby Require
 ments Can Be Met
WILL MEET FRIDAY
 TO DISCUSS ISSUE
County Now Near Limit Of Indebtedness-Needs
 Declared Pressing

With the announcement that a meet ing of the new board of revenue will be held Friday to discuss the county schools and Hillman hospital bond is- sues, solution of the financial prob lens confronting the county may now be expected within a- comparatively short time, members of both the incom- ing and old bodies said Saturday.
 Each member of both boards has Yentured an opinion of his own as re- gards the proper method of solution of the problem. In April the present board of revenue expressed itself as in com plete agreement with the county board of education and with the authorities of the Hillman hospital, who asked $1 900, 900 and $600,000 respectively. The issues were indorsed by the voters at the polls last May, but it transpired tha tthe voters also indorsed the new courthouse proposition.
 The courthouse, it has been estimated, will cost at least $2,5O0,000, although n price of $25O,O00 less is the official figure. The schools and infirmary needs aggregate S1,0O0,0O0, and Dr. N. R. Baker, county superintendent of schools, has said that he could easily use sev- eral hundred thousand dollars more in carrying out all of his building plans made necessary by the increased enroll ment. Besides, the First avenue pay ing project involves the sum of $170,- GOO. That means an expenditure of well over $4,0O0,O0O for necessary ex- ,.au.tu,, and s,npr0uaunnufs
 Bond Limit Near
 Bonds for S4,OOO, 900 cannot be. float ed, it is stated, because the limit of the county's bonded indebtedness, about SS, GOO 900, Is already subscribed to within $2,450, ,OO0 If the bonds for the latter amount are floated, which programs will be curtailed and to what extent?
 Capt. Lacy Edmundson's plan to float bonds amounting to nearly S2, ,500, GOO, of which $1 ,500, ,000 will be used towards building of the courthouse, the rest to be divided evenly between schools and infirmary, is receiving most attention at present. But at the same time nu- merous objections have been raised. Some say that paying interest on $S,-
 
 for the county and that the incoming board will have too great responsibil- ity on it's shoulders to start it's four year term with. Others say that float ing bonds of this amount will hamper vital plans of the new board, all of whose members ran on some particular platform during the election campaign.
 Would Delay Courthouse
 Next to Edmundson's plan that of W. J. Waldrop is the most seriously discussed. He made the statement in an interview recently that the court house building project can wait, inas- much as educational and hospital de mands are by far the most urgent. He advocates complying entirely with the requests of the county schools and Hillman hospital heads, it is under stood.
 Whatever the 1924-2S board decides next Friday as the best course to fol- low will probably be indorsed formally by the present board, it has been de- ciared. Statements to this effect have been made by all of the present reve- nue board members, who have said:
 .1The board-elect must shoulder the responsibilities of the issues. We Of the present board must do the actual legislating until November. but 1t IS IS only fair to pass such motions as will meet with the approval of the board who will carry out our legislation. With this in consideration, the new body, when it goes into conference next week. may feel that it is shaping it's own pol icies, and that it may owe us no grudges for having given it handicap when It assumes office in the fall.'