The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-27
DR. OXNAM MAKES SOME COMP PARSONS Birmingham Is Far in the
 Lead RETURNS FROM VISIT Moral Conditions Here Better Than Either Memphis, Kansas City, Omaha or Minneapolis-New
 Building to Be Erected
FROM VISIT

A large audience gathered at Pisgah home yesterday afternoon to greet the Pisgah evangelists upon their return from an inspection trip to Memphis, Kansas City, Omaha and Minneapolis. Dr. Oxnam made a comparison of con- dltions in these cities as, compared to Birmingham. which places Birmingham in the front rank.
 Part of Dr. Oxnams talk follows:
 T have been told again and again that Birmingham is one of the worst cities in the country; that vice abounds and that our morals were at a low ebb After an investigation of five leading cities, 1 wish to state thta Birmingham, morally and spiritually, is far in the lead
 The citizens are unusually charitable, and need only be assured of the worth of an enterprise to properly support it.
 Mentions Memphis
 Memphis, in a prohibition state, has 700 saloons which stay. open practically all night and Sunday, each of which pays 5000 year to some collector. No one seems to know where the money goes. but the law is steadily violated. Young girls drink in the park until ? oclock in the morning and drunken women were seen upon the streets.
 Kansas City. a city of beautiful homes and granite business blocks. has red light district 10 times as large as that of Bir- mingham, and disorderly to an extreme. Down in the part of the city where there is saloon on every corner, is located rescue mission. The rent of the building is $50 per month. Just as I started in the door, I met two men from Pisgah home, Brother Frank and Brother Will. Brother Frank came up to me with his face beaming, and said: Doctor, haven't touched a drop of liquor since I left the home, and I have good job here, but Kansas City needs Pisgah home. Come In here to this mission with me. They don't know how to handle drunken men at all.' As we entered the room, the superintendent was telling of the love of Jesus for sinners, and a drunken man interrupted hmi twice with foolish ques- tions. At the third interruption the poor fellow was put out of the hall, and fell into the hands of an officer who took him 10 jai1 Now, do you see, Doctorr said Frank. I was drunlSer than that man when l went to Pisgah home, but they gave me bath and clean clothes and a clean bed and hot breakfast, and then told me about Jesus We witnessed several instances of police brutality, and were glad to leave for Omaha.
 Omaha Is Next Y7a
 a.xt.. O every night, and we noticed very little drunkenness on the street at night rne social evil is handled with an iron hand, by segregating all these people in one district Omaha is considering reducing the number of saloons one-half, but they still have over 400
 Minneapolis is the cleanest city l ever saw, has the best street car service. and living k at least one-third cheaper than in Birmingham.
 'They have cut the saloons from 450 to $50 and now wish to cut that number in two. There are Se0 blind tigers, and the police have confessed their inability to handle this problem.
 While the great Methodist General con- ference was in session, and famous men from all over the world were devotlng their thought to the uplifting of human ity we saw girls drunk on the streets every night. and many young girls shame lessly plying their vocation on the prin- cpal streets after o'clock.
 No Provisions for Vagrants
 We did not find in single city visited any provision made for vagrants outside of the jals. except Minneapolis. There state free employment bureau is main tained that secures work free of charge for an average of 1000 men week and this practically does away with the vagrant.
 'T have always been a prohibitionist but Birmingham has fewer saloons. and they arc better regulated than nay ctiy of its size in the country.
 T have been in every saloon in Bir- mingham again and again, and l have never seen an intoxicated man able to buy another drink.
 "A drunken woman upon the streets of our city is a rarity, and strenuous eff forts are being put forth to care for young girls
 More intelligent prevention work is being done here than in any city we vis- lted.
 Nearly Sc0 men and women have been cared for in the limited quarters of Pisgah home. and now that we have so many friends in the city, it is time to build an adequate establishment that will be a model for ether cities
 "A two-story building. built on the style of Q United States army barracks. capable of accommodating l5a men will be erected and called the Orr building; two-story cottage with capacity of D women mad children will be called the White cottage, and d modest church will be built named tho Lucy oxnam Memorial chapel.
 "A leading architect is at work on the plans which will be submitted nj the next month