The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-21
Think That Streets Advertise a City as Nothing
 Else Will Do
INTERVIEWS GIVEN BY
 MANY PROMINENT MEN
Not a Single One of the Men Seen Yesterday Failed to Endorse a Movement to Have Bet
 ter Streets.

The matter of street paving is attracting a great deal of attention in Birmingham. It is being discussed by people in all parts of the city, and the general opinion Is that the city should continue the work of street paving which has been carried on during the past year
 Yesterday a number of tax payers de- clared that the whole city should be paved. They stated that they thought nothing advertised city so well as well paved streets They stated that a stranger was impressed more by well paved streets than any other feature in a city.
 Some of those who discussed the mat ter went so far as to say that street improvements enhanced the property val ues to such an extent that the improve ments were really money savers to the property holders.
 Following are some of the statements made yesterday in regard to the matter:
 Robert Jemison "I always favor street improvements. It enhances the value of property and I am always anxious to pave the streets around any property that I may own. I believe in it to such an extent that I went into the woods, took a 40-acre field, laid 1t out and paved 1t. I think that well paved streets are the greatest advertisement that any city could have"
 Walker Percy: "I am great believer in municipal Improvements and street paving in particular. I believe in beauti- flying the city in which we have to live as much as we possibly can.
 Birmingham was further behind in her street improvements than any other city in the world that I have seen until about two years ago. In the past twenty-four months immense progress has been made, but it is only the beginning, and I hope that 1t will continue. I am heartily in favor of street paving"
 Col. T. G. Bush: 'I believe in as much stret improvement as is reasonable. There is no doubt that street improvements help g. city and are great advertisement. It required fifty years to get Mobile started on the question of street improvements, but every one that goes there is sur prised and the citizens are delighted" s. E. Thompson: q believe in street improvements. They benefit property, enhance the values and tend to advertise
 the city do not believe that anything
 helps a city more than street improve ' ments."
 l w. D. Nesbitt: q always stand for l improvement of any kind The question
 of paving all the city streets is a large 1 one and one about which l would like
 to think before giving any more definite
 statement than that I am always for :, Improvements.
 Pave All Streets.
 E. H. Cabaniss T am heartily and
 unanimously in favor of street improve
 ments. I think 1t would be an admirable l idea for all the streets in the city to be
 paved I cannot express myself too
 strongly on this matter. It advertises a l city more than anything else can do and
 it also tends to increase the property values. I am glad to see the matter
 taken up and discussed by the people l of the city and l hope that the council will continue to advocate improving the
 streets, both residence and business
 Samuel D. Weakley: Street paving
 tends to upbuild a city. I am always
 heartily in favor of anything that helps l to build up the city and make 1t the biggest in the south. have stood for
 street improvements ever since 1 have
 been in Birmingham and I am always
 glad when the time comes to improve
 the streets in front of some of my prop I erty"
 Alex T. London: T believe in street | improvements of course. They advertise
 city and increase the value of the | property However, I do not think that | the city should move too fast in this
 matter. The city should keep the pres-
 ent paving in good condition, sprinkle and sweep 1t regularly, If we build
 streets too rapidly we will get beyond l the capabilities of the city when 1t comes to sweeping and sprinkling the streets.' l Another thing to be considered is that l there are many poor people who are l unable to pay the assessments for street l Improvements and they are made to suf- l fer some hardships. l believe, as I said l in the Improvements, but there are many l things to be cOnsluereu ana we should 1 not go too fast
 l R. s. Munger: 'I think the idea oi l paving all the city streets would be an l excellent one. It would not only serve
 to advertise the city all over the country | but it would be d great convenience to l the citizens l have just returned from l Cuba where the roads are particularly l well paved and the streets are in much l better condition than ours. In fact they 1 put us to shame by the condition lr | which they keep their thoroughfares. By all means pave Birmingham"
 | Richard w. Massey: 'I am glad that | the Age-Herald Is constant in advocat- l ing more extensive paving of the streets | of Birmingham, and the laying of side | walks This is a movement in the right 1 direction. as well paved streets and con | crete sidewalks add materially to the gem | eral prosperity of the city and enhance l property values far more than the cost of l such improvements. Birmingham already l has some excellent streets and sidewalks. | and I hope those in authority will con l tinue the movement until Birmingham l becomes one of the best paved cities in | the south. Such a reputation would be | invaluable to the city from a commercial | point of view.
 "Houston, one of the most progressive | cities of Texas has recently paved all her l principal streets with asphalt and 1 am l told that property values have been en- | hanced from 9 to 50 per cent in con- 1 sequence thereof. Properties on High l land avenue, as well as other streets which have recently been paved, have ma- l terially enhanced and l believe property | owners opposing such movement are l blind to their own interests"