The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-02
\ RoE:S CELEBRATE
.Hl EMANCIPATION
Alabama Penny Savings
Bank Formally Opened
WHITE MEN SPEAK
E MEN SPEAK
Great Crowds Attend Series of Ser
vices Held Yesterday-Murray
Spoke Last Night At the
Baptist Church
by HORACE ID. SLATER

by HORACE ID. sLATTIsR
Never did a people enter more hearth
y and with greater enthusiasm into any
project than the negroes of Birming-
ham into the CELEBRATION of the fiftietl
anniversary of their freedom Yesterday.
Fully 5000 people of all walks of life
my Savings bank, inspected the entire
bank, the building and the offices on
every floor from the spacious quarters
used by the Windham Construction
company on the mezzanine floor to the
lodge and assembly halls on the fifth
floor.
The negroes pride was reinforced
by the heart to heart talks from prom
inent white bankers in the assembly
room on the NTH floor at noon, whtn
limpromptu addresses of an especially
pleasing and friendly manner were
made by W. p. G.. Harding of the First
National bank, w. p. Mcconnell of the
Malone Mcconnell Real Estate company,
Leo and b. Steiner. bankers; W. w.
Crawford of the American Trus. and
Savings bank, Mr.. Kerr of the Traders
National bank and Others
The exercises of the day. held Joint
ly under the auspices of the Birming-
ham Emancipation club the Inter
iDenominationa Ministerial alliance,
Baptist Minister'S union and the Ala
bama Penny Savings bank were con
cluded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist
church last night, where former Con-
gresham George w. Murray of South
Carolina made the principal address.
Special music for the occasion was
furnished by the sixteenth Street
choir, and the exercises were witnessed
by an audience that completely filled
the spacious building The meeting
was presided over by Herbert IL. GLOW
er president of the Birmingham Eman-
cipation club. Rev. J. w. Goodgamc
pronounced the benediction, and the
emancipation Proclamation was read
| by Brunette c. Hill
The programme began Wednesday morn
| ing, when the entire Penny Savings bank
| building on Eighteenth street was opened
for inspection, and was visited by fully
5000 people, a large number of whom were
white people of the community. Negroes
| from various sections of the state. par
tlcularly Montgomery. Admission and Sell
ma, where the Alabama Penny Savings
bank has established branch banks came
TO the city to witness the exercises Prom
lnent men of this city, both white and
eoiored, left their businesses at an early
sour, paid their respects to the manage
ment OF the Penny bank. and inspected
It's various departments. "
Negroes OF every description crowded
.he hais. Small children from the pub
lic schools opened accounts with 81. Cash
Ter b. Nj. Hudson, after receiving the
report of the telers and going over the
accounts and figures, declared that de :
poslts mad been made during the dav
aggregating $4,000, and that 300 new ac-
counts had been opened
a letter from T. o. Smith of the Rir-
mihgham Trust and Savings bank, ad-
dressed to President Pettiford, which was
read at the meeting, said in part
l. wish TO express to you and your
board my qualification on the success
of your institution and the splendid prog
ress which it has made under your con-
servative management"
congratulating the negroes of Birmine-
nam upon the interest they had taken in
appreciating the races 80 years of free
dom, w. r. Pettiford made an impressiva
talk to the large crowd that had gath
cred in the assembly room on the fifth
floor at l o'clock
Under the direction of Almighty God "
said DR.. Pettiford. 1--WE have been ema n
cpated and clothed with citizenship in
the most enlightened country in the
world. While it fell on us as the gar
ment oil man upon boy, we are MAX
ing our best endeavor to grow to its
fullest capacity. The first step in this
direction is the development of the mind
the faithful worship of Almighty God and
earning and well management of money.
You are also celebrating today the ar
complshment of negroes in the financial
world"
SiXty-Two Negro Banks
DR.. Pettiford declared that .the me-
Sroes now have 50 banks in the United
States, only three of which were above
the Mason and Dixon line leaving the
great majority of them in the south.
where negores are endeavoring to work
ont their material salvation with honest
work and faithful living"
With reference to the Penny bank, he
declared that it opened its doors for bus-
ness October 15 $780, with a capital stock
of only $4,000, and that on the close of
business that day $55575 had been de-
posted. "rhe better class of white peo-
pie OF this district he said, "have spoken
kindly of the officers and this business,
which has aided no little in placing the
management in the confidence of the peo-
pie.
TO each and all of these as best we
can we express our heartfelt thanks and
deep gratitude for the valuable services
rendered by each one in this great under
taking of people who are far behind in
their commercial achievements and so
hard to train i'm matters pertaining to
their best interests, without which we
could not have succeeded in our present
condition. We are glad to have present
some of the representatives of the white
banks, which have watched over and ld-
vised us
Suggests Remedy
At the night session last night. En-
Congressman Murray made some pointed
remarks touching the remedy for tho
defects in negro training that yet makes
the race the spiritual. intellectual and
economic slave. Economic ignorance
and slavish customs keep the black man
beggar and dependent in communities
as,.I.es everything" he said. The want
TO see and utilize all his powers 10 make
place, standing and protection for hm-
self has made the educated Afro-Alneri-
can a laughing stock. If he would sise
above "A menial and carry his race up
with him, he must take the lead in teach
ing them how to utilize their powers to
make for themselves. that all the posi-
tions in the world are made by labor