The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-05
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Needing ooieIal Attention

THE revenues of the city of Bir-
mingham will never be adequate for
us to do the things that should be
done in a great and growing conf
munity until a change Is made In our
taxing system said prominent man.
THE commission has administered
the municipal government with rigid
economy and whenever the people com
plain of the commissioners not doing
this or that the excuse Is always ready
the city cannot afford 1t; 1T hasn't
got the money
But there are many things that
the commission could do with little or
no expense to the city--little things
comparatively speaking, but things that
would count materially in improving
Birmingham and in popularizing the
commission form OF government One
is in the matter of street lights. In
the old aldermanic days there was a
light on Park avenue near the cor
per of Twentieth street. but soon after
the commission was established that
light was taken away. At night the
corner at Park avenue and West Twen-
tieth street is one of the darkest in
Birmingham and. with our scarcity of
police, citizens who have to pass that
way after midnight feel unsafe unless
they are armed and ready to defend
themselves against highwaymen. Sew
eral burglaries have been reported re-
Gently in that neighborhood,
Norwood is insufficiently lighted. A
light at one of the important street
intersections was taken out recently
and there was much shooting at bur-
glars one Saturday night In July. Pet
ty economies are most unbusness-
like. The people of Norwood deserve
better treatment at the hands of the
city commission. Realty values are af-
fected directly by the installation of
first rate public utilities. including
street lights. or by the lack of such
utilities. A house on a we'll paved
and we'll lighted street has obviously a
much higher market value than house
on q street that is in darkness at night.
Some of the outlying streets of Biz
mingham are so poorly lighted that
they would be a disgrace to a small
country town
another thing that the city com
mission could do without cost Is to
give attention to rubbish piled up in
the streets and to dangerous places In
the roadbed-llttle man-traps, There
was dangerous place on Fifth ave-
nue. near the Southern club. Many peo-
pie complained. | saw two or three
articles in the newspapers calling at
tention to the Importance of having a
red lantern placed there That man
trap remained for at least three weeks
without anything being done by the
city. 1t would have cost little to have
kept a red light burning there at night
to warn off pedestrians The place COM
planned of was finally mended.
Another thing that is causing much
comment is the pile of old flooring and
timbers and brickbats piled up in the
street on Park avenue at the corner OF
Twentieth street. That old material
has been there for months. 1t Is an
eyesore to say the least. For many
weeks red lanterns we're not even placed
on the street distractions at Twentieth
street and Park avenue, and was
thinking that it would be- only ques-
ton of time when the city would have
many damage suits on its hands.
"These and many other things should
have the prompt attention of the city
commission"