The age-herald., 1900-01-07
NED BRACE COMMENTS ON
 THE STATE FAIR FAILURE

The state press, usually so clever and en- thusiastic about Birmingham, is now wig orously engaged in roasting this great and growing city. It seems that the State Fair association sent a large number of five do lar checks to the weekly press of the state in payment of display advertising matter of the state fair- These checks, when put in by the respective proprietors of the pa pers for collection, it would seem, were re- turned, marked No funds" The truth of the matter Is the state fair did not pay out. It rather came out several thousand dollars behind. and l understand that few, if any, of the premiums have been paid
 A great clamor has gone up and is work ing great injury to Birmingham. As a mat ter of fact the State Fair association play ed in bad luck. Much stock was subscribed for and not paid for The labor unions boycotted it. and there seems to have been much internal dickering and strife, and the association, at the present time, seems to be a practical wreck. However, to all out ward appearances the fair was big sue cess. Thousands of people attended-the grounds were crowded every. day-but there was perhaps extravaganza in the manage ment.
 The merchants of Birmingham tell me that they did more business during fair week than during Christmas week. If the fair was not good thing for its managers it was bonanza for the merchants The merchants should therefore. get together, take up the matter, compromise and settle up the debts and begin vigorously to pre- pare for great fair here next year.
 
 dollar of indebtedness due to the weekly newspapers of the state. The revenue from advertising received by the average editor of weekly newspaper is small. He needs and expects the cash for every advertise ment he prints, and he is entitled to it. He took the advertising from the State Fair expecting to be paid for it. It was un- fortunate that the fair proved a financial failure, but the fact is that the editors of the weeklies hold Birmingham responsible, and the Birmingham merchants and citi- zens should see that they are pajd. As a modest citizen of Birmingham. I shall will ingly contribute a share to protect Bir- mingham's good name and credit
 
 It is now manifest that a great mistake was made when the last legislature failed to extend the city limits of Birmingham. The 1900 census is about to be taken. Bir- mingham's city limits are confined and con tracted. Hardly one-third of the city is within the limits I doubt if the census will show up a population within the city limits of more than 40,000. Yet every one who knows anything about Birmingham knows that the city proper contains be- tween 60,000 and 10000 inhabitants. This bad showing which will be made from a popula- tion point of view works hardships. I heard of an instance yesterday. Several parties wanted to erect a handsome hotel here. They applied to a wealthy northern concern for a large loan. It was declined on the ground that Birmingham could not show a population of 5000, with the additional statement that the company was lending money at four per cent interest on central remunerative business properties in cities of exceeding 10000 inhabitants
 No foreign money is loaned in Birming- ham at less than six per cent, with the usual fees added. On the other hand, Att lanta is getting money for improvements at four per cent and at the same time Bir- mingham and Jefferson county show more