The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-04
BOLES MAKES SPEECH
Lays Stress Upon Fact That Alabama
Should Be Appropriately Repre-
sented-Explains Purpose of
the Exposition

mary plans for suitable Birmingham
exhibit
This exposition is to be staged at
Knoxville this fall on a large scale.
Some is buildings are being erected
by the leaders in the movement. Eleven
hundred feet of space has been re-
served in the southern states building
) for Birmingham and HOO more are held
in reserve in case the local merchants
need 1t. A spirit of cooperation was
prominent at the luncheon yesterday
and several manufacturers whose pro-
duct is such that 1t would be impossible
for them to be represented. offered to
contribute anywhere from SIS to 500
each to the expense of the Birmingham
exhibit at this exposition.
Another Conference Today
Another conference will be held be-
| tween Mr.. Boles and the chamber man
ufacturing committee this morning.
Many OF the local merchants are en-
thuslastic over the proposition, stat
ing that 1T is one of the best oppor-
ltunities to be secured to show to the
people of the south the resources and
products of the south and encourage
them to patronize southern maufact-
urers and business concerns.
Mr.. Boles made short address in
which he set forth the purposes of
the exposition. Mr. Boles laid stress
upon the fact that Alabama should be
appropriately represented at the expo
sition in the way of exhibits as that
state had the most complete and rep
resentative state exposition board,
III,
Montgomery as its chairman, of any
| of the other 16 southern states. Con-
| Guiding his remarks, Mr.. 'Boles said:
THE development of the south is in
the initial stage Manufacturing is an
infant industry. Agriculture has just
reached the walking stage. The vast
undeveloped resources and the won
derful possibilities of the southern
country is truly remarkable. We have
not yet awakened to our opportunities.
But from the time when the illustrious
Henry Grady made his memorable ad-
/ dress before a Boston audience in 1886
| in which he called attention in en-
phatic fashion to the great undevel-
oped southern country, up until the
present time the onward march of
progress through our southern country
has been marked by wonderful strides.
.eThe railroad companies have estab-
Ilished land and Industrial departments
Idollars annually in the meritorious
work of attracting capital and LABOR
to the southern territory. The news
papers all over the south have lent
strong and effective helping hand in
idrawing attention to the new south
4 through their columns. The commercial
organizations have rendered yeoman
service in this work. They are the con-
Meeting link between the railroads and
the newspapers.
so great has been the interest man
ifested in the work of developing the
new south that last year the southern
| railroads and the commercial bodies
throughout the south met in joint CON
ference in Memphis where plans were
formulated looking to the directing of
travel into and through the south in
order that the wonderful resources of
the southern country might become
better understood. Excursion rates from
the north and west into the south are
going to be made to attract farmers
and homeseekers and investors to the
southern country. The lowest rail-
road rates ever given to an exposition
will be in effect all throughout the
south to Knoxville.
Big Event of Year
"The exposition is the biggest thing
the south. ever attempted. 1t is the
only big event in 1918. There is moth
successful elimination of the exposi-
ton. 1t is the souths opportunity to
disport herself in effective fashion The
subject chosen by the exposition pro-
jectors--co one in which
we are all interested as it covers ev-
cry field of useful endeavor. During
the first decade of the twentieth CEN
tury the government authorities grew
alarmed at the rapid rate at which the
natural resources of the country were
being depleted. Investigations Were in
stituted looking to ascertaining to as
accurate degree as possible the extent
of natural resources in the ground.
Some astounding facts were developed
For instance. at the rate of use COM
puted in 1908 the standing timber of the
country would last only generation
and the good coal for something over
a century. and SO on. halt had to
be called upon the lavish waste of our
resources
Human efficiency is also an import
ant natural resource and what has
been done and contemplated Will be
shown at the National Conservation ex-
position in Knoxville this fall 1t is
' indeed the souths opportunity as the
eyes of the nation are directed toward
us. Knoxville was selected as the poin,
at which to hold the exposition be-
cause of her preparedness to handle a
proposition of this magnitude. But it Is
as much Birm1nghamS s exposition as II
is KnoNville's; as much Alabama's as
it is Tennessee's. 1t affords splen-
did opportunity to display your man
ufactured products. gentlemen. as II
only means that Knoxville is lending
, lyou show ground to show to the peo-
pie what you have to offer and to di-
I rect attention to your section of the
country in an effective manner.
"One of the prime purposes of the
southern states building is to put the
south on display with her manufactured
lproducts with the view of discourag gine
by educational features of this kind
the buying of goods out of the south
when the same articles can be had right
| in the south, If equal in quality and
Iprice. AS set forth in the beginning
/! the manufacturing business is an in
fant industry. The people of the south
| do not realize the extent to which this
industry has already progressed and
| it is for the purpose of educating them
| to the fact that the idea of putting
the south on display with her manu-
factured goods was conceived. This Is
: a splendid opportunity for the south
! ern manufacturer to impress his wares
! upon the southern buying public and
l feel confident that Birmingham man.
ufacturers will take advantage of the
opportunity being offered the same as