The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-21

Everybody agrees that we should have the big new postoffiee. because the old one Is antedated and inadeQuated for the purposes for which it was built Like the salaries of the city policemen-thex were fixed years ago when meat was ; cents pound and meal 10 cents peck.
 I will coneede that in 1893 $2 50 per day was fair pay for a policeman. Salaries should be based on the cost of living and the amount of efficiency required so as the cost of living now is three times what 1t was in 93: policemen are only getting abont one-third of a living. and 1t cannot be figured any other way. Since starting this "let-live" agitation for policemen have had encoura cement from more than 1000 Of the best citizens in Birmingham, and have had few knocks.
 One merchant remarked to me- that it was easy to see through my motives: that my object was, to sell the policemen flunitiue. I told him in that he was mistaken that l wanted to see police- men draw enough salary to enable them to pay for what they buy,
 Another big old taxpayer, who by tho way is one of my best customers, re- quested me to stop this agitation, that the people were already taxed to death, re- marking that I s1loulu sweep around nfy own duor first
 Now let's see if I am doing that pay my. chauffeur s20 week. which is Ss.ss 1-s day. and he is only required to have sense enough to ride and blow the horn. | pay colored porters Si5 per week. which is s2.50 day, and tley are only required to have enough sense to carry dresser upstairs. and if he knocks hole in the5plaster hold bis hand over 1t until the lady of the house gets by. do not hold my porters to seven or eight dollars a week. because others do. l de- mand efficiency and am willing to pay for it. The city demands it also, but is not willing to pay for 1t. My business is successfully conducted. As for the city reader I will leave that for you to say
 The other night I asked my wife if she was through with the paper to please pass it to me She handed it to me. remarlSing there's nothing in it. but reports of bur glares, robberies and damage suits against the B. R. l.. & P. told her that she reminded me of the city of Bir- mingham She became righteously in dignant and demanded an explanation, Well, l said to her, you had a good took when you paid si a week and our grocery bill was only 8 week, you became pennywise and pound foolish and em- ployed s q week cook and now ogr grocery bill is s2o a week. She just grinned-couldnt say word
 One of my neighbors said to me that might hurt my business championing the cause of policemen. I told him that when was a little boy the circuit rider was invited to dine at our house, and &they put the big pot in the little one and fried the dish rag, and while they were all seated atzthe table I said, Ma, did you get that lasses out of the little brown jug with the broken handler? She said Yes my sin, why do you ask2' l said, "Wel. it was chuck full of flies and she knocked on me for it. When l re- covered l said, Brother Evans, sister said next time you asked her, she was going to take you, that she was tired oi milking sixteen cows Sister knocked me, and when l had recovered 1 said Brother Evans. can preachers horse live without eating?n He answered, No my son. why do you ask?" I said, Well brother only gave your horse three ears of corn and gave our old mare ten ears Said preachers horse didn't need any thing to cat Then brother knocked or me. and when I had sufficiently recovered I asked, Brother Evans, what kind of $ preacher are your He said, "A Meth odist, my son. why do you ask?
 I told him T didn't know. l heard pa say that you were one of the kind that could preach all day and say nothing. Then pa knocked on me, and 'believc me- it was some knocking. 1 threw down the peach tree limb that I was fighting flies with and went out in the yard and met Uncle Ezekiel that had been in the family s7 years, and Unelt