The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-14
No Reason Why Both Atlanta and Birmingham Should
 Not Have Company
INTERESTING LETTER
 FROM ALLEN.J J. KREBS
We'll Known Contractor Says People Have Already Decided They Need the Auditorium and That Opera
 Should Act as Added Incentive

| Atlanta was quickened to action
 when it became known that an effort would be made by Birmingham to se- cure the Metropolitan Grand Opera company for weeks engagement next spring and a statement has been is l sued by William M. Peel, president of the Atlanta Music Festival associa- | ton. declaring that the grand opera will be continued next year in the | Georgia capital as usual.
 According to Mir. Peel contracts are | never signed with the company until January of the year in which the en- l gament Is to be played. but that At lanta has received no intimation that
 the company would not appear there as usual
 Birmingham citizens, it was stated yesterday. have no desire to take away
 from Atlanta it's grand opera season | but they felt that there is no appar
 ent reason why both Birmingham and Atlanta should not have grand opera
 should Birmingham provide suitable l building.
 The first step that Is to be taken in the movement for an auditorium Is the dispatch of a letter from the Chamber | of Commerce to Otto H. Kahn, director lof the Methopolitan company, asking I that should suitable building be pro- vided would he come here. When an answer Is received further action will | be taken.
 | 1t is pointed out. however, that even
 if Birmingham should be unable to ob- | tafn grand opera the need for the audi
 torium would still exist and that 1t would serve valuable purpose in the l attraction of conventions to this city | and the advertising for Birmingham | which would result.
 Letter From Allen J. krebs The Age-Herald yesterday received | a letter from Allen J. Krebs Sr., the l well known contractor setting forth
 his Ideas on the subject. which will be
 of interest. The letter follows:
 To the Editor of The Age Herald. l read with much interest your local
 article in reference to the construction of an auditorium building. a IT 1t is possible to first obtain a spe- cific promise from MT Otto Kahn, direc- 1 tor of the Metropolitan Opera company,
 that should we have a suitable build
 ing. he and his organization would | come here, then 1t will behoove the citi-
 zens of Birmingham to take advantage
 of this psychological moment and act promptly and decisively.
 | Looking into the matter from two viewpoints: First, do we need an au- ditorium? and if we do, can we main tain one? Second. what benefit will an
 auditorium be to the people of Birming- ham and the Birmin gham district?
 In answering the first question, I will first call your attention to the fact | that the people of Birmingham have
 already decided that they do need an
 auditorium, for they have cast their
 votes in the majority for the issuance
 of bonds for that purpose.
 Now that we have ample hotel facili- ties and are being recognized as a con yention city, we need an auditorium all
 the more. but we do not need a make shift of building. We should have a | building more than ample In size and
 appointment for the present, and
 structurally designed and built for the future. l will treat the last part of the
 first question later in answering the
 second question.
 Investigated Before Acting
 To answer the second question, it Is
 best to do so by comparisons, and per
 sonal observation and conclusions. 1 re- fer to the auditorium and armory build ing in Atlanta. As near as I can re-
 member the construction of this build ing was put Into the hands of com mission with w. T. Gentry, president
 of the Southern Bell Telephone and | Telegraph company, as chairman. This
 commission first treveled through the western, central and eastern states and
 visited all important civic buildings of | this character, and 1t was upon their | report and recommendations that the present auditorium and armory build | ing was constructed In Atlanta. But
 their work was not completed by the | l the question of maintaining this build
 ing had to be settled. and a permanent
 board or a commission was created and | the success of handling this building | in financial way Is matter of rec | ord. Only suffice to say that 1t has been handled successfully. So we can con
 clude that In extent, capacity and struc- l ture We have an example almost at our doors.
 | Now, I will Just give you few ex- | amples of the benefit such an institu- | tion has upon the people of the city. | and when l say the people l mean all of | the people of the city, not the military
 or operatic inclined, but the rich and poor, the educated and ignorant, the old and young. in fact. all.
 The auditorium In Atlanta has one | of the largest and finest organs In the south, and very fortunately the build l ing has splendid acoustics The direc- tor of music, l believe, Is Professor Starnes, who conducts the different musical societies which have their head : | quarters al the auditorium building, and reders all of the organ recitals. l On each Sunday afternoon about or | o'clock a public organ recital together
 with musical solos by different celebri-
 ties. Is given and the public of the city Fare invited free of charge. The building has a capacity of about 10000 people. har te Cor aIl q a
 CT social standing required. merely plain
 decency and decorum.
 The programmes for the afternoon are