The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-01
OFFICE BUILDING IN MONTGOMERY

T.
 OFFICE BUILDING IN MONTGOMERY Major A. G. Forbes. the new Presi- dent of the Commercial and industrial Association, has created a special Com mittee, whose duty is defined to be .'to ! devise ways, and means for securing the construction in Montgomery of a modern, up-to-date ofice building. :" This is step in the right direction. A modern. up-to-date. fire-proof hotel Is now. assured for Montgomery. and tt I would be a "consummation devoutly to be wished" if a modern. fire-proof. up- to-date office building. commensurate with the growing demands of Mont gomery could follow in the wake of the hotel. the construction of which will begin withinfa month.
 The Committee of the Commercial and Industrial Association charged with the duty of bringing about the construction of a modern hotel. met with very serious obstacle in the matter of securing site therefor. The Modern Office Building Cohmittee of the Association is meeting with the same serious obstacle. It appears to us that many of our real estate owners have been short-sighted in the exorni- tant prices placed by them upon their real estate. Tn fact. many of them having desirable sites. refuse to sell | their land at any price. Such conduct on the part of a real estate owner might be pardonable II he only owned one piece of property, but where a man Is the owner of num- erous lots throughout the city. 1t seems to us that If he would encourage the construction of modern buildings. by selling one or more of such lots at reasonable terms. he would be more than repaid by the enhanced value of his other real estate. and by the stim- ulus that would be given to all classes such movement In other words, the manifestation of spirit of civic pride would tend to subserve his own I personal interests. .a
 We bespeak for the Modern Ofice Building Committee, the hearty co-op-,
 
 stands to reason that if we can secure tho erection of one or more modern of fice buildings. in Montgomery. 1t will rebound to the material welfare of ev- cry citizen. The old rattle-trap build ings in which some of our leading pro- fesslonaI and business men are ob- | liged to spend their office hours, will | throughout the city, and new life and activity will inevitably result. The Chairman of the Modern Office Build ing Committee. since the creation of that Committee, has received a num- Der of communications which empha- size the importance of the movement now on foot. For instance. one real estate agent writes him that a large concern. employing thirty men, all of whom are men of families, desired to locate in this city recently. and wished to obtain six office rooms. No real es- tate agent in the city was able to &C., commodate the concern. and of neces- sity, 1t went elsewhere. Another con cern desiring to locate here. wanted
 
 not being available here. this concern likewise sought quarters elsewhere. Every real estate agent in the city is under the necessity. almost daily, of turning away applicants for desirable offices. To turn away such industries, necessarily turns away from Mont- gomery, the money that would be l hy hn
 ployes of such industries, and Mont gomery is thereby very greatly the loser. Owing to the exorbitant prices asked by the few real estate owners who are willing to part with lots, suit able for the construction of a modern office building, movement has been started by few enterprising citizens, looking toward ascertaining whether the City Council of Montgomery has the power to sell or lease a portion of the space now known as Court 1 Square" on which to construct a mod ern office building ''sky-scraper."
 It is urged by those who advocate this movement, that such structure would be vastly more ornamental than the fountain which is now there, and the City could derive such benent from the sale or lease of the space as to make 1t exceedingly profitable. If it develops that the City Council has tae power to either sell or lease the spa ,e alluded to. it is hoped that 1t will CO., operate with those behinds the move- ment and secure for Montgomery this very great desideratum. If 1t should develop, however, that tue city has not this power, then it is the duty of every patriotic citizen to urge upon those who own desirable lots for an office building. to cooperate with the Com mittee to the extent of naming a req sonable price for such lots. The Com mittee anticipates no difficulty in se- curing the necessary capital to con- struet building superior to any build ing in the South if 1t can secure a lot on anything like reasonable terms.
 
 Many of our readers can remember when Mexican silver dollars were good as gold coin, but 1t Is different now. As an example. The Monterey Daily News is issued at $20 a year Mexican