The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
NASHVILLE NOW
. AFTER HER SECOND
LARGE AUDITORIUM
Ryman Hall Proved Such
Big Asset to City That
Citizens Want Still
Larger Building

Practically everyone of Birmin guam s
contemporary cities of the south has an
auditorium. and there is nothing to
wonder at in the statement of Norman
II. Johnson, when a recent visitor to
this city, to the effect that he was
wonderfully surprised at the enormous
growth of this city in the eight years
since he had been here, but that he
was more surprised to realize that Bir-
mingham still had no auditorium
At that time Mr. Johnson. who travels
extensively over all sections of the
| country, gave out an interview warmly
indorsing the present auditorium move
ment and urging the voters of Bir-
mingham to avail themselves of the
opportunity of doing a big thing for
| their town. One of Birmingham ;
neighboring cities that has an auditori-
um and has had it for Is years is
Nashville.
Nashville Wants Another
Now while Birmingham is struggling
to erect one auditorium. Nashville Is in
the midst of an enthusiastic movement
to erect "a second auditorium, an i'm
ihthSC buiitiiS W bc NttttNo ~ oA"'~'
county sand municipal aid. II Nash
Vile can have two auditorlnms. Bir-
mingham surely can afford one,
! The letter to Chairman Shook from
the secretary of the Nashville Board
of Trade. Il. s shannon, is as follows.
Mr.. =. G. Shook. chairman auditorium,
| committee. Chamber of Commerce.
| birmingham, Ala.
Dear sir: on my return to tine office
| | find your communication of ;he sew
enth. 1t was my pleasure to refer same
| to representative of the local PRESS and
! their interest is indicated by an article
| ton hall brought to that city the
| equivalent of $4,000 persons for one
day. At that small average of SO per
day this represented disbursement Of
$549,000. The report of the Commercial
| club of Des Moines says that during
the convention a single concern took
orders for over $4,000 worth of sbusi-
ness and the direct trade benefits are
reckoned in the hundreds of thousands
of dollars.
| Now as to the cost. 1t has been
| calculated that assuming the interest
charge would be offset by the use of
|
slider as the real expenditure the cost
of bond redemption. For this purpose
| 1t is estimated that the additional tax
on $1,000 of property valuation for as
sessment purposes on account of the
| school bond issue will be so cents an
nually and for the liquidation of the
auditorium bonds 10 cents annually.
| This would mean that the owner of the
property assessed for $4,000 will pay
an extra tax of $1.20 a year for the
additional school facilities, Fairgrounds
and public auditorium. With the in
crease of population and the invest
ment of capital which these improve
ments will bring about, this will be
distributed within few years over
such large aggregate of valuation
that 1t viii be reduced to the vanish
ing point"
Why 1t Will Pay
The citizens of Oakland should vote
for an auditorium because
| Il. 1t Will be a paying investment in
income property.
''2. 1t will produce a revenue and will
entail no burden upon the tax payers.
| '3. 1t Will bring visitors to Oakland
annually who will leave more money in
the city than the entire coast of the
auditorium.
! "A. 1t Will contribute to make Oak
lanu an objective point with tourists
and help fill the Oakland hotels and
apartments and benefit all kinds of
business.
IS. 1t will be the best possible means
of advertising Oakland, because those
who visit conventions always carry
away lasting impression of city.
| "6. 1t will Supply an open arena for
the discussion of public questions.
81. 1t will provide a place for state
| fair extension and other eXpositions.
| "s. 1t will be available for popular
| concerts, dramatic entertainments, lec-
lures, indoor athletic contests. flower.
poultry and automobile shows, indus
trial and pure food exhibitions, horse
shores, bench shows May musical fes-
tivals, banquets, national, fraternal and
educational conventions and other as
semblies
| "9. An auditorium is now considered
an essential equipment of modern
municipality.
10. 1t will mean the employment of
a large amount of labor in the erec-
tion Of the auditorium, as every dollar
of the bond money will go into i'm
mediate circulation In Oakland for the
construction Which will be permanent
asset Of the, city"