The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-13
MODERN IDEAS Of
BUILDING CITIES
Comfort and Health Keynote,
Says Jemison
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED
Prominent Young Real Estate Man
Says Industrial Concerns viii Reap
Benefits of Healthful Quarters
In Increased Dividends
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED
BY WALTER HARPER

.sThe modern tendency in civic enter
prise is for the comfort and health of all
the people, especially those who toll for
their living" said Robert Jemison, Jr
I'm the already congested centers like
Pittsburg and other large manufacturing
cities, where no thought for comfort or
the health of the citizens was taken IN
the original planning of the community
humane societies and organizations have
lately taken upon themselves the problem
of correcting bad conditions. In most all
the populous industrial centers the labor
ing classes are crowded together ike
sheep in cheap tenements or in miserable
slums. Sanitation is bad. The air is
worse. The ideal condition can never be
secured in such places. OF course, the
dangerous disadvantages to life, health
and comfort can be remedied to some ex-
tent and this is being done as rapidly as
possible.
1.-THE hearty cooperation of the people
themselves must be secured before any
thing practical can be accomplished, and
this is hard to get. The modern idea is
to build for the future health and COM
lOAl VI lho PSOPACs Inns - S~SANA et'NtA
enforcing accommodating people to clean
illness, after the surroundings have been
fixed and the habits of the people set
tied.
"Fnth and squalor are habits that grow
on people and are hard to correct after
they are firmly fixed. If the physical
conditions are bad as they are always in
congested centers the habit or condition
can never be satisfactorily corrected.
''Insanitary conditions lead to habits of
uncleanliness. Uncleanliness breeds dis
ease and disease breeds crime. Through
these agencies untold misery is visited
upon the entire community. 1t is a crime
to allow insanitary conditions.
1.-The best-the only true-remedy is to
build right. Cities, and especially indus
trial cities, should be planned on broad
and philanthropic lines The spirit of
charity and human correction should be
installed into the minds and hearts of
builders of cities. You cannot enforce
true cleanliness in insanitary tenements
and narrow, crowded streets and alleys.
You cannot legislate health into dark
rooms and foul smelling halls. You cannot
make people comfortable and happy under
slum conditions or raise people who live
in mean surroundings to the level of So
cial enjoyment that even the lowest
classes should occupy.
THE first attempt on a large scale In
the United States to build la city accord
ing to the modern idea was at Gary,
where the United States Steel corporation
planned broadly and wisely. The far
sighted efforts of the big corporation at
Gary attracted the civilized world. 1t
was the labor of true philanthropy
coupled with the material idea of dividend
production.
''Contented and healthy people give bet
ter return in labor than disconnected and
ill-kept people. Health and intelligence
feed brain and muscle. Sanitation in
spires love for duty. Every park in Gary
Is a dividend producer. Every social in
stitution is money mint for the big cor
poration.
'Birmingham is destined to become one
of the largest and most important indus
trial cities OF the world. 1t is not top
late now to plan for that great future.
Corey is the first step in this direction.
This city, which is being planned for the
benefit of the thousands of men and their
families who will be drawn here by the
large manufacturing plants to be built
near Birmingham, will have all the feat
ures that comfort and health demand.
1.-The purpose of the men behind the
building of Corey is to Guido Gary in
ideal conditions for workingmen and their
families. They have been able to learn
some valuable lessons from the building
of the latter town.
s'But the idea should not stop at Corey
The great industrial city of Birmingham
will cover the territory from Corey to
East Lake and from Red mountain to
North Birmingham We have the room,
and the opportunity here for the building
of the most ideal manufacturing center
in the world.
''rhe community is healthy We should
keep it so. 1t can be done. Sanitation
and elbow room do more than anything
else to insure physical and moral health.
For the sake of the state and the COM
munity let's have both. Now is the time
to begin.
I'VE can prevent the building of mean
tenements and the congestion of people
into dirty slums. The people themselves
will follow the suggestion of the city's
builders. Laboring people do not want to
be crowded into mean quarters and will
help to build comfortable homes where
there is sunshine and fresh air If they
are encouraged.
'Such conditions would not only be
better for the people but would be profit
able to manufacturing interests and far
safer for the community and the state.
i- int tlot VIA