The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07

the proposition.
The election September Is is not
on a direct bond issue. AS has been
explained before, the question before
the voters then is only whether or not
they wish to have the question of a
bond issue placed before them for de-
eision. If they vote Eyes" September
Is it will mean nothing except that
at some later date the real bond issue
election will be held and no man who
votes for the bond issue election will
be under any obligations to vote for
the bond issue.
Data From Other Cities
Chairman Pascal Shook of the Cham
Der of Commerce auditorium commit
tee spent much time and studied data
from cities in all parts of the country
before it was decided that a municipal
bond issue was the best way for Bir-
mingham to secure an auditorium. In
addition to the enormous school bond
Issue, the people of Oakland two years
ago also voted for a municipal bond
issue of 100000 for an auditorium.
Birmingham is asking for but 5000. 900,
which it is believed will answer the
purposes of the city for many years to
come. The arguments that induced the
voters of one city to vote for such n
matter, should have much weight with
the voters of another city especially
when the two cities are of about equal
size and have problems of much sim
1larity to face. The phamplets dis
tributed among the voters of Oakland
before the election and the arguments
which are credited with Influencing
those voters to see that the auditor
'um bond issue feature 70 the election
was good Tor the city and good for
themselves. will apply Just as much to
Birmingham or any city without an
auditorium just as much as they did
to Oakland in the summer of 1911. They
are as follows:
Arrangements Submitted
The attention of the voter is in
vited to an investment proposition:
"On Tuesday, May 16, the citizens OF
Oakland will determine on the purchase
of certain property-that Is, property
TO be owned by all the people and
utilized for the benefit of all the peo-
pie. This includes an investment OF
$l,155,90O in additional grammar and
primary schools with more complete g
Fairgrounds; an investment of S73S, 900
In new manual training and com
mercial high school and enlargement of
high schools and additional high school
sites; and an investment of $500, 600 in
q municipal auditorium
The questions to be determined are
do the people want these things? Are
they beneficial to the community? Are
they a good investment? And can the
people afford them?
1T is conceded that good schools are
. good investment. Nhe best education
al equipment not only means good citi-
zens but 1t means added economic eff
ncfency; II means Increased productive
capacity, and 1t means community
that creates new wealth and promotes
posperity.
The creation of a municipal audi
forum or great convention hall. relates
itself to the educational scheme, be-
cause such building would permit
great popular assemblies, concerts. con
: ventions. musical festivals athletic
tournaments and exhibitions which
would be in themselves educational.
Make Convention City
Further than this. the provision of
an auditorium would contribute to
make Oakland a convention city. There
are more than 5000 great conventions
held annually in the United States
These conventions bring together
thousands of people, and the amount OF
money expended in one year in Oakland
by delegates to conventions would more
than pay for municipal auditorium
Many of the progressive cities OF
the country. such as Kansas City, Dem
yer, st. Paul and Des Moines, have con-
vention halls, and they have univer-
sally proved a good investment The
direct revenue return in many instances
has been sufficient to provide for the
sinking fund, and the advantage In
use more than Offsets the interest
charge Besides. an auditorium Is a
constant advertisement for city.
"A Des Moines publication calls the
auditorium of that city "a magnet oi
prosperity and says, 'Des Moines built
the auditorium, now the auditorium is
helping to build Des Moines' The net
income of the auditorium at Des Moines
Is equivalent to IL per cent on the in
vestment.
The great convention hall at Kan
sas City has brought hundreds of thou
the question which the people of Kan
sas City ask Is not DO we need a con-
vention hall but How could we dc
without it?'
The first convention held in the Den
Yer auditorium is said to have brought
more money to that city than the entire
cost of construction of the building.
IAN epidemic of hotel buildings is
said to have followed the completion
OF the monster AUDITORIUM and conven-
tion hall at Houston, Tex.
St. Paul Auditorium
The St Paul auditorium which is
very similar to that which 1t is pro-
posed to erect In Oakland is managed
by three trustees appointed by the
mayor. In three years the total attend
Ance was 906,00 and the receipts for
rAntal $4,000. At the end of three years
there was surplus on hand of about
1900
( ~ 90 year the Des MoInes eonven-