The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-05
BIRMINGHAM MUST
Be LOCATION FOR
AREG|ONAL BANK
Kettig Says Now Is the Time
for City to Make Known
It's Wants Along
This Line
To the Editor of The Age-Herald

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
When Rome fell there were many par
ties. There was the party of Brutus, the
party of Cassius, the party of Mark An
thony, but there was no party for Rome! !!
In Alabama and Birmingham today
there are also many parties. There is the
party of Underwood, the party of Hobson,
the party of Conner, of Henderson, OF
Kolb and many others. There Is the
governors party, the prohibition party
and the antis. Our citizens walk In torch
light professions and shout themselves
hoarse over their respective candidates
This is all very well, and Is healthy FOR
the community but amid all the strife and
combat over political leaders 1t does not
appear that there is any party for Bir-
mingham.
Each one has its selfish object In the
election of its favorite candidate, but no
one seems to know or care how this COM
munity will be benefited by the election of
any particular man.
T would like to see some candidate offer
to do something that will benefit this par
ticular community. We see in the press
dispatches that the Georgia senators are
very active in insisting that Atlanta have
one of the regional banks provided for in
the new currency bill. This may seem
very selfish on their part, but would 1t
not be a good thing for Birmingham, II
our senators and congressman got TO-
gether and insisted that the greatest man.
ufacturing city of the south be recognized
| by the administration, and that regional
bank be located here?
We have representing us in Washing
ton some of the ablest IL not the ablest
men in the democratic party. We have
the great Underwood as leader of the
House. we have the finely equipped Clay
ton as chairman of the judiciary COM
mittee. the gifted Heflin and the ener-
getic Burnett. We have Hobson. Bank
head and many other able men. There
never was a time when Alabama was so
ably represented.
Have we not representatives in Wash
ington with influence enough to obtain for
us one of the regional banks? 1t Is OF
vast Importance that Birmingham OBTAIN
one of these banks. The city that mas a
regional bank will be the financial center
for a radius of many hundreds of miles.
hanl, are incalculable. The locations Of
these banks are now being quietly select
ed nv the powers that be at Washington.
Now is the time for the Birmingham peo-
ple to ask for what they want.
Do we want to sit quietly down and let
Atlanta take what we ought to have? lf
| Atlanta gets the bank it Will be neees-
sary for Birmingham merchants ana
manufacturers in the future to rediscount
1 In Atlanta,
While the people of Birmingham are
wrangling over individuals and political
ideals the people of Atlanta have gotten
| toeether and are after the bank.
I would suggest that the Chamber or
| Commerce take this question up at once.
| If necessary, committee of 800 should
go TO Washington and ask for the bank.
| Our senators and representatives in CON
eress should be urged to work unceas-
inelv for this object Now is the time.
IF we wait much longer it will be too
Late. Let us get down to practical work
and quit chasing rainbows,
w II. KETTIG.
| birmingham, December L. 1918.