The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-02
SAVE COURT SQUARE

subject Drfefiy week ago, ana n nho hoped that the question would not re- quire discussion further. However. there seems to be a good deal of life or persistency in the movement, and 1t becomes necessary to speak of 1t again.
 Apparently this persistency Is due to the activity of the Committee onAohice Building of the c. & I. Association. This Committee is composed of promi- nent business men whose patriotism and unseifshness we have no disposi- tion to question. Nevertheless there are suspicious persons in the communal ty who argue from the systematic, per sistent work in behalf of this project that behind the movement somewhere is large lump of selfishness, which wants to get the most desirable build ing site In Montgomery for as near nothing as possible. This lump of seifishness may now be termed 'fbusi- ness" but if it should go so far as to permeate a majority of the Council, 8 large portion of Montgomery's citiz sns will be likely to rise up and call the result job.
 From the attitude of the Council so far. 1t looks as if that body represents the majority of Montgomery's citizen ship, and that 1t proposes to take care of the peoples property. It may be that a determined outside syndicate of capitalists. assisted by a few over Reaious local patriots. who are unduly wrought up on the question of prog ress, may overpersuade the Council. but we doubt it. The servants of the people may be willing to take care of their friends sometimes, when the peo- pie are not aroused, but they would hardly go to the length of disposing of a large portion of the leading square of the city for one thousand. or several thousand, dollars per year. That would be extraordinary audacity for New York or Philadelphia aldermen even we are sure that the severest critics of Montgomery's legislative body would not predict such faithlessness.
 But why is The Advertiser so pro- nounced against this projeot7
 In the first place, because the Square Is an ornament and a comfort to Mont gomery, and 1t should be preserved in it's integrity for the present and future benefit of all the citizens of Montgomery. There may be differences of opinion as to the beauty or desirability of the fountain but the fountain can be removed when ever public opinion demands 1t. A ten story sky-scraper could not be re- moved readily.
 In the second place, a sky-scraper there. no matter how tall or finely built, would be hideous. There Is a place for all things, and the principal public square, the heart of the city. is not the place for a sky-scraper. In- stead of such a structure advertising the city all over the country. 1t would be more likely to make us a laughing stock everywhere.
 In the third place, to erect an ofice building in the Square would be to pro- claim to the world that Montgomery is only a small town, so small that every- thing must be located on the Square Twenty years ago leading business men had that idea. and none of them were willing to conduct important re- tail houses outside the Square. We have completely outgrown that idea in the last ten years. Let us not go back to 1t. Let us not officially de- clare that no suitable place exists hero for a big ofice building except one spot.
 But 1t is argued that Montgomery the holders of other desirable sites wont sell at reasonable prices-that they are unprogressive mossbacks, who can't or wont improve their property. and wont let others do so. There may be some foundation in some quarters for this statement, but 1t Is not true of all Montgomery, and no more true of this than of other cities. It takes two to make bargain, especially a real es- tate bargain. Property holders in the progressive cities do not often sell their property at It's present income or market value: the metropolitan news papers are constantly telling of the big prices paid for this or that piece of property. Holders everywhere con- stantly get more than the market value of property; they hold out for a part l of its speculative value and usually get 1t. unless forced to sell. Montgomery property holders have to be induced to sell their property, and that argues well for the prosperity of this city.
 The Advertiser wants to see as many fine buildings erected in Montgomery as possible. and 1t will help along that movement in every legitimate way. It believes, furthermore, that when the demand is strong enough investors and holders will be able to get toreth- CT, here as they do everywhere. There is no need of giving way or conascat- ing a part of the main square of the city in the interest of so-calIed prog- ress. That would be retrogression The people need all of Court Square now. and they will need it more and more as the city grows.
 The city fathers will blunder if they give the least coun- tenance to the movement. As