The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-25
GIVE APPROVAL }. TO BOND ISSUE
 AT MASS MEET
Total Of $3,75O,OOO Is Fa- vored For Library And
 School Needs

--s Voting 59 to 30, d general mass meet ~slpg held in the Chamber of Commerce ' auditorium under auspices of the ' League of Women Voters Monday night approved resolution supporting a school bond issue of $3,00O,0 900 and a central library issue of $75O,OOO.
 These issues were called the para mount needs of the city at this time and the city commissioners and educa- tlonal authorities were petitioned not to include any other proposed bonds In the forthcoming referendum.
 The resolution, which was offered by Mrs. Brenton Fisk and others, called for popular vote on an additional tax levy of 1 mill to provide additional revenue for maintenance of the public schools, and for a levy of 11a mills additional to provide funds for the sink ing fund to care for the proposed bond issues.
 Upon request, Mrs. Solon Jacobs. chairman of the meeting. appointed a committee of five persons, headed by Mrs. l.. J. Haley, to present the rec concentrations to tbe board of educa- Gen and the city commission. ine dtteHudHce was representative of all sections of the city and all shades or opinion and every che was given an opportunity to discuss the situation freely.
 Oscar Wells, president of the First National bank and member of the bond campaign finance committee; W. H. Wolverton, champion of the school bonds to the exclusion of other issues at this time, and J. W. Donnelly, chairman of the public library board were the principal speakers
 Facts Are Presented
 Mr. Wells presented cold financial facts tending to show that the city should not issue more than $4.1OO.O00, or better still, $3,400,000 at the present time. He warned against flying too high and pointed out that the city's taxing rate. under state laws. can only be advanced 30 cents per hundred over the present srRte.
 Mir. Wolverton described more schools as the one pressing need of the city and urged that $5,000Q00 in school bonds be voted. He said this amount would be safe in view of the fact that property values are increasing at the rate Of $6,OO0,00O year, thus bring Ing in more revenue.
 i Hourse, IaVor library bonds, | sanitary bonds and bonds for various other. things. said MT. Wolverton. but our first duty. as I see it, is to ourl school children"
 MT. Wolverton concluded with A i warning that failure to submit to inc voters school bond issue large enough | to care for every section of Birmine. ham would mean defeat of the issue
 In vigorous presentation of the needs of the library system, Mir. Don nelly took occasion to point out sec- tions of the school survey calling for office suites, swimming pools and oth. CT similar equipment" He called these "luxuries" and declared the school authorities should eliminate the fr1ils and leave enough money to end me alarming fire hazards at the cen hall" '''0i VI ei's
 Applause Frequent
 Mir. Donnelly. from t.le start. had the crowd with him and was frequently halted by outbursts of applause,
 The government department of edu- cation, he asserted, "says that the pub hc library is an absolutely necessary adjunct of an educational system.
 The fire risks at the central library. where thousands go daily to read and | study, are, far greater than in any school in Birmingham. A fire there would mean certain panic with prob- able loss of lives.
 The schools ask for more than S4,OO0.OO0 for their immediate program but they admit they can't spend it ali for nearly five years. Give the schools $3'OOO,OOO now, give us $75O,OOO for the library and thus care for your whole educational system. O'0 If the school board spends the $5,OOO,OOO wisely, it can come back to the people lated and get more. I know that the school authorities ase not | afraid to link their fortunes with the | horary bonds. Ask Dr. c. B. Glenn | ana see what he says about this.
 The library must have safe quar- ters. The library board will not as-