The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-10
Indorsed by Crawford

Geoisye G. Crawford, p-est.fnr tt the
Tennessee Coal. Iron and Rii.toad COM
ildny, yesterday In a formal ste tement
gave his cordial Endorsement nf the audi
tcSlltm troject and gave his reasons Mr..
Crawford sa:o.
Birmingham needs an auditorium. or
course, the city needs many things, but
an auditorium is part of the necessary
plant TO help get the other things 1t
Will have an educational value be the
meeting place where pleaslirable instruc-
tion in music, art, literature, economies.
civic anc other Interesting subjects can
be impaired to audiences large enough to
inspire the best efforts. 1t will afford
the l,eople of the Suburbs and of Birming-
ham an opportunity IF needing each ctilcr
and knowing eace. tl.ef bette TO IN, ,ni
that they may be knit together IN united
effort 10 benefit each and all n se II ~
for themselves and tneir city the mduy
advantages both Of a material and a ~
teral nature which os,nnot be had Hithr..
II tied effort.
II viii be the mems OF attracting n any
convent. ions to Birmingham, and the MGR
chpIils know what that means; bus. eN'
greater than the mater al benefits siom
s'icI oeca sions WIZ be the stinu.,'".a
which Will come from seeing ami Ing
great men and ared, ORGANIZATIONS when
will oe afforded To many men Nho labor
in the industries o. this dist;iet bH bring
ing suti attractions tc place which is
act essille to then.
ut seems to me that $4,000, the
amount of the proposed bond issue. VIII
be a wise investment"
]. f. Shelby's Views
j. E. Shelby, president of the Board OF
Trade Is enthusiastic for the auditorium
He will name a committee today which
will lend its prestige TO the auditorium
movement officially. although it will be
composed of men who already are work
ing hard for II. Il couldn't be against
the auditorium without being against the
progress Of the city" said Mr.. Shelby
yesterday. II believe it is one of tha
most important steps a city can take. !
know it is a great asset for other cities
and | can't see why it will not be big
asset for Birmingham.
Anything that viii bring more visitors
to Birmingham and put the name Bir-
mirgham in the mouths and minds oil
more people is good for the city, and the
auditorium will do it. This has come to
be an age in which the existence of cities
Is nothing more nor less than the sur
vival of The flttest. The new industries
We bring here. the new citizens we bring
here, the new capital we bring here. the
new genius and talent we bring here
must come from somewhere else. We
profit by some other citys loss or vice
versa. 1t may not he ideal, but neverthe-
less it's true.
Now none of these are going to come
here or go anywhere else unless they caH
be made to believe that where they arc
going Is the best place they can find
Birmingham is in drct competition witt
hundreds of other cities just like her al
over the country. A man in business
can't afford to ignore the improvements
Of his neighboring competition and it's
the same way with cities. If other citie.
have auditoriums, we must have one; II
we don't we'n slide backward in the scals
of progress. We are soon to have as goot
hctels as there are In the country. anf
| with an auditorium there is not a city II
existence which could better us In draw
| ing qualities for conventions and tourists
The Way We Grow
| "And that's the way we grow. Wher
| we can introduce another stranger int
our midst We soon get him so interested