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Show Citizens of Alabama Town Prefer Vice To Increased Taxes PHOENIX CITY, Ala. The people of the small town of Phoenix City went on record recently as preienng rackets to taxes. In an unusual situation, an estimated esti-mated 800 to 1,000 persons soundly applauded speakers who favored a "no-change" policy in the city government, gov-ernment, which admittedly receives $300,000 a year from illegal enterprises. enter-prises. Two speakers who supported support-ed a cleanup of vice drew only mild response. The rally was called to sound out public opinion on a proposal to raise taxes to replace money lost if the fabulous honky-tonk town should be cleaned up. Roy Green, city commissioner, told the meeting that tuxes would be raised all along the line after a cleanup, since $300,000 of the city revenue is derived directly or Indirectly In-directly from rackets. City Commissioner E. E. Reese declared at the meeting, "I'm not going to do what a handful of fanatics fan-atics want us to do. You can no more force people to gamble than you can force them to go to church." Reese said a cleanup would put the city back into receivership, from which it was taken three years ago after more than 20 years. Arch B. Ferrell, circuit solicitor, acted as moderator for the forum, which drew an overflow crowd at the Russell county courthouse. Edwin Moore, long an administration administra-tion critic, and John Luttrell spoke In favor of a cleanup, but neither completely favored the proposed tax 1 increases as an alternate. |
