The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-17
B|G CITY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN FAST
 LAKE LAST NIGHT Jere King And Leo Oberdorfer Outline Advantages of
 the Greater City KING GOES INTO DETAILS OF NUMEROUS BENEFITS Sub-Treasury, Postoffice and Sewerage System Are Few of the Things
 That Call For Greater 4
 Birmingham.

analysed in every phase at a mass meet ing of the citizens of East Lake last night. A large crowd of representative citizens of that suburb were present and listened with interest to the facts and arguments set forth by Leo Oberdorfer and Jere c. King. Greater Birmingham made good, and If the meeting is to be taken as a criterion as to the vote of East Lake that corporation will go easily 2 to for the great city.
 East Lakes best citizens were at the meeting, Mayor W. J. Martin and prac-l tically every member of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen being present. Some slight opposition to Greater Birmingham was shown at the beginning of the meet ing but these men readily saw the wis dom of the movement after they were shown that it was no intention on the part of Birmingham to treat East Lake un- fairly, and the opposition melted.
 The speeches of Messrs. Oberdorger and King lasted for nearly an hour and a half. In eloquent words MT. Oberdorfer told of why the welfare of the entire Birmingham district demanded that the territory from East Lake to Pratt City be included in one large corporation, with a population which would place Birmingham in the rank which she really deserves. The benefits to be derived from this arrangement and the good which would result, to East Lake itself were also spoken of.
 MT. King went into the details of tA proposition and argued it from every standpoint. MT. King said:
 Mir. Kings Speech.
 The people of East Lake constitute very important part of that unbroken line of population that extends continu- ously from East Lake to Ensley, and to stranger it would appear to be one great city. The people of East Lake are even more closely connected with the city of Birmingham than appears on geographical lines. At least 80 or 90 per cent of the people of this splendid little city work either in the court house. or office buildings, or the business houses or fac tories in the city of Birmingham and mingle every day with the people of Bir- mingham; we meet each other on the streets and in the> business houses every day, and are in no sense strangers to each other. Being so closely connected it would be well that we get even more closely together in order that we may reach out for larger and greater things which will help each and every citizen who lives in this great valley. If the people of East Lake prosper. when Bir- mingham prospers; if the salaries of the people of East Lake grow when Bir- mingham grows; if the prosperity of East Lake grows when Birminghams prosper ity grows, then we have common cause and a common destiny.
 I do not presume there is a fair-minded citizen living between East Lake and Birmingham who would not admit that East Lake, Woodlawn and Avondale de- pend largely on Birmingham's prosperity for their living and success. Prices of real estate in East Lake go up as Bir- mingham's real estate goes up. Every new office building and every great en- terprise constructed in Birmingham helps the price of property in all the territory to the lake. If these premises be true and they cannot be successful questioned we will have no trouble in showing that there will be a mutual advantage in co- operating and concentrating our forces for a consolidated city.
 / Mail Service.
 The federal government sends its mail carriers from the Birmingham postoffice out to your homes every morning and delivers mail at your doors.
 Street Car Service. The, Birmingham street car system fur nishes transportation\f for the people of East Lake that puts you in quick touch with every part of the city and furnishes | light to your houses. Water and tele- phone service are furnished from Bir- mingharn companies all of which goes 1 to show that we have the same public l service utilities.
 | l presume 1t will not be necessary to | say that the rapid growth in population | is the greatest factor in advancing any city. The first question you ask on ap- preaching a city which you have visited is: How large is it?" You get your first impressions from. the size of the place. If 1t is growing rapidly you are impressed with the fact that the people there must sbe prosperous. Nothing so advances city 1as to show it's rapid growth.
 Birmingham has never appeared to the world in her proper sphere. In the last | census she stood fifteenth in population among southern cities The people all over Alabama were keenly disappointed at Birminghams low rating. On January 6 you will have your only opportunity to correct this poor rating and place Birmingham where she properly belongs among the very first cities of the south | In 1900 Birmingham had 3S, AIS populations in 1910 we ought to have 125.000 popula- ton.
 When we ask the federal government or Congress to grant an appropriation, or to establish any enterprise of a public i character at Birmingham, the first great question put to us by the members of Congress or the government officials is to find out how large our city is, and how many people will be benefited. This has embarrassed every Birmingham del- egation for the last seven years. and they will continue to be embarrassed until this scheme of consolidation is perfected. We have every advantage that Provi- dence could give us over every other | southern city, except water. and we can even overcome this disadvantage If we consolidate our strength and go after it, | We have the wealth; we have the people, and we have a splendid citizenship that