The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-05
BOTH HOPTIMlSTicA AND
 PEsSIMISTIc VIEWS GIVEN
Study of Situation Proves a Per
 picking Problem.
ssone Busiaess srsn Say Prssisisisn sEss naiaea 7Aeir prospects whlie 4 <. Others Declare CsessnE sf
 ssisoss Has Bee. Heipfsi.v
nr crsar.z.Es,s ,. szARoLn.

airminsham. Feb, 4--( (special)--- Studying the effect on industry and thrift in the Birmingham district, con- fronts one with the most perplexins phase of prohibition.
 The student might. devote. month or six months toeunraveiling the propo- sition and at the end of his inquiries, he would be nearly as uncertain as if he stood afar and worked on theory and not facts.
 Facts there are in plenty but what . kaieidcscope they make This msT- chant says his business has gone to smash. He rips an oath at prohibition and scorns the "red-nosed" angels. He depIores the interference of wife and church with maA's suffrage and threatens to take French leave for other and more congenial parts. And he was Q first-rIass merchant. too. Simply won't stand for sentiment to take the place of business. as hetputs it. and is ready to resign.
 Step into another dealer's establish ment. or rather a 1eading department store on one of the main thoroughfares. The manager was in sanlies and did not think so i'll of "dry." He did not fly into a fury when prohibition was broached, did not condemn 1t lock. stock and barrel and did not applaud its benefits. if benefits he had ex- ,perienced. He was inclined to be neutral He was willing to give 1t . trial.
 'It fs not possible to separate pro- iiibitien from three other disturbing in- fluenees of fs0s.Y said the manager of this department store. tSThere was the panic, you remember, whose echoes ex- tended over into last year and. still are heard in this district. There was the protracted miners strike. That was disastrous to trade of some kinds. It's effects are stili felt. That was in the summer of slsos. you will recall. And third. was, the Presidential election. That was not so potent as the other three, but stili there was suspense be- fore the President was chosen and that hurt some.
 ssYet for some rsasoni or other. we surprised ourselves in 1908 and did [ more business than we aid in 1s07." About the last statement. it may be related just here that E is exeeptional to find q person. firm or corporation which did more business last year than during the year previous. That record must be put down as belonging to ths genius of busiAess. for if ever an in. Adustrial district was hit hard last year st was the inmense coal and iron ter. sitory around Birnfnghani. The afoel
 
 hion was seriously felt Sturdy fl propagated to all the arteries Of trads flowing in ana eut Of Birmingham They we're indeed the most reliable Eegistera of prosperity. And thers wasn't much prosperity in the period Hut to gather opinions from hun. dred sources as the writer has done ana to place them in the crucihie of reason. ing to get conclusion is rivaling tn, untying of the Gordian knot. Tos many conflicting Ninterviews are fl hand to tell just what prohibitions hal done for real estate values Tt is most interesting line of investigation though the fruits are tainted. Once il awhile there rises glorious materia for valuable inference. You arc abou ao weave 1t with other facts. but HheI the sy1logisms are In place and tn, rifle of reason fs about to fire. tn, mists begin to appear. the clouds rol in and the shot probably misses it's alpl
 Stubborn Partiaanshsp.
 Because there are selfish interest Involved. there Is still stubborn par tisanship, form of fanaticism on botl sides of this tremendous issue in Ala bana politics. sociology and economics
 Exulting always, the Prohibitionisi both the professional and the advocate points to tall buildings that are shoot ing siEyward on prominent corners O the bustling business district. Som of them were financed during the be ginning of prohibition. They are be Ing pushed vigorously to completion Il the tight times of the present. Tn skyscrapers now in course of construc tion represent investment aggregatfnI probably $1,50O,000. There are hun dreds of smaller buildings and cottage being built as well as many fine resi- dences But they may be dismissed fo the present to inquire into the coinci Hence of the skyscrapers and prohibi ton.
 The writer in discussing prohIbitio and insurance. walked into the office Q ASC. Chesney, district manager Of th Metropolitan Life InsuHance Company After answering few questions | regard to his business now as compare with 1907. the last year of the ope saloon, Mir Chesney was asked hi opinion as to prohibition skyscraper He was a man from the north one c the most effective producers the indus trfal department of the Metropolita has known. lpiercing with sharp. danc ing eyes, and most frank on this sut 1sct which had proven so 'touchy" to tn gouthern-born business man.
 His testimony is more free from bis perhaps than the average resident Birmingham as he Is scarcely two year from the East.
 '"rhere Is no more misleading state - sss.-----.sza ..