The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-21
Intercity Bickering Hurts
South in Other Sections
of the Country
SUGGESTS PLAN TO
REMEDY MATTER
Would Have Delegations From Cham
Tbers of Commerce of Big Southern
Cities Visit Each Other and Gre
ate Spirit of Cooperation

oscar c. Turner, who has worked foi
Birmingham during the years of residence
here, has a plan whereby the petty
squabbles between southern cities may be
eliminated to the end that all the south
ern cities may pull together for the south
He started the movement in Atlanta, a
city that has never failed to roast Bir-
mingham just as Birmingham seldom
neglects to roast Atlanta. Mr. Turner
suggests that instead of the various
southern cities fighting and fussing all
the time it would be well for all of them
to get together and pull one and all for
the upbuilding of this community.
Has Plan
He suggested yesterday that a deega-
ton of Birmingham members of ths
Chamber of Commerce headed by its
president, w. p. C. Harding, pay a visit
to Atlanta as the official guests of the
chamber of that city where expressions
may be exchanged and where the two
bodies could commune and find out what
is best to be done for the whole commun.
ity Mr.. Turner suggests that trip oil
A''NN A'e'eNiO NC iiltlut W INdStlNllle ana lC
Memphis and to Savannah. Naturally
he thinks that these visits should be re.
turned by the various Chamber of Com
merce and that each city should tell the
other what they want specially SO that
all of the souths most prominent and
progressive cities could work together
to attain those things that are most
needed nv this Of bo
States.
Il seldom hear any man from New
York or1ticising Pittsburg or Philadelphia
or Chicago" said Mr.. Turner MAYBE
once in while that may be found, bu,
generally speaking the people of the north
and east are pulling together 1t is il
the south that we find the most fightine
and fussing.
In many respects our cities are SC
provincial that we fuss and get mao
about the smallest details of our broae
general work. That is an unhealthy stu
aticn. What we should do is to get to.
eether for the upbuilding of the whole
south That will very naturally help tht
individual cities and will give us tn,
front before the American people of beine
harmonious and in a spirit Of co-opera
ton.
''In this day and time the small sec
tional fights that often embarrass citie.
are costly. AS all we'll know Atlanta
seldom overloks chance to cripple Bir
mingham in the eyes of people. On tn,
other hand Birmingham very natural,N
hands a lemon or grape fruit to Atlanta
when such a feat is possible which il
often by the way. That is true abou
many of our southern cities. That spiri
is wrong. We should have our loca
fights at home and straighten them out
Then the south should present to tn,
world an unbroken front for the genera
upbuilding of this whole community. Tha
is the spirit that wins in the wind up.
Much in Common
The communities of the south have ,
great deal in common to work for. w
have questions affecting the entire souti
that should be discussed by men familia-
with the south and handled by them
That a spirit of cooperation may b,
created | have suggested that the presi
dent of the Birmingham Chamber of Com
merce and a delegation from our bod,
pay visit to Atlanta and see the mem
bers of that body officially. That visi
would naturally be returned. Then Biz
mingham should invite a delegation from
Nashville to come here and that visi
should be returned. Memphis, Savan
nah, Jacksonville and all of the principa
cities of the south should be visited Il
that way by the official members of tn
various Chambers of Commerce. BY s.
doing there will be worked up a spiri
of friendliness and cooperation tina
would be of inestirnable value to tn
whole SOUTH
Mr.. Turner who has roade this sugges
ton beth here and in Atlanta believe
that such q scheme will be worked ou
and that the foremost southern citie
will by this process of friendly exchang
of views eventually become better ac
qrainted and will finally pull together 70
the whole section.