The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-16

for the report of the committee on
civic improvements. He said:
THE government is now taking a
census of the city of Birmingham and
We are all expecting 1t to show
total of $4,000 inhabitants, which
understand viii make us one of the
first 80 cities of the country. Dur
ing the next 10 years we are all ex-
pecting even greater growth and the
census of 1920 Will see us even high
err up in the list OF American cities.
"All of which means that Birming-
ham has before 1t a wonderful ply
steal growth. This growth will affect
ali features of civic activity, not only
the subdivision schemes of the real
estate people. but office buildings. no"
tells. mercantile enterprises factories,
department houses. libraries, postoffice,
new courthouse. to say nothing of flu
ture steel mills. furnaces, mining OPP
erations. etc.
with a growth like this alb cad of us
ought we not stop a moment to think
whether we are going after ali TINS
growth in a systematic, business-like
way? In other words, are we work
ing toward any definite plan or are we
developing in a hap-hazzard sort OF
way as individual enterprise may dc
tate?
lead us up to the point that Birming-
ham must have a definite plan to work
toward Any of you gentlemen build
ing a house or a factory or laying OH
a park would first of all get an archi-
tect or engineer to make the plans. So
In the building of big city we must
get some big architect like Burnham
of Chicago, Kessler of kansas CITY,
Amistead, Miller or Robinson of Bos-
,, a study
of city building. to make a thorough
study of our conditions here and for
n,ilate some plans for us to work to
during the next SO or 100 years.
washington, above all American
cities has had its growth planned on
a most magnificent scale, and back ed
by Uncle Sans treasury, that city Will
achieve more of it's ideals than any
other city. Chicago has had some mag
nificent plans made. though most OF the
features of it will have to be aban-
doned on account of the frightful ex-
pense of tearing down what has al
ready been built. -
san Francisco had many of it's lines
changed after the big fire and so did
baltimore Los Angeles, st. Louis, Gin
cinnati and numerous other cities nigh;
be mentioned among those that have
had plans made. Memphis is one of
the FEW southern cities tldt 10 Noihhi 3
along these lines.
Competition among cities exists just as
1t does in everything else where man is
concerned, and your committee feels that
Birmingham can't put off any longer this
question of It's future growth and devel-
opment. There is no reason why our
parks, our highways and boulevards, our
public buildings, the appearance of our
streets, the purity and good taste or our
architecture, should not be as good as
any in America.
Those who laid off and planned the
original Birmingham were unusually far
sighted men for their day, and the broad
streets and avenues, Highland avenue In
particular, will always be a monument to
Mr.. Powell, Mr.. Morris, Mr.. Caldwell and
other controlling spirits of the original
Elyton Land company. But Birmingham
has long since outgrown the city of two
or three square miles which they planned
Already we have about 45 square miles
and are still growing. We've got to get
up another plan.
II mention few of the problems that
Birmingham ought to work out and de-
ternine upon at once. Many of these
problems having already been discussed.
81. Is 1t practicable to develop a civic
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