The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-17
ZOOS REQUEST UP !. TOPRES|DENT WARD Smith Petitions for Benefit
 Sunday by Movies WARD NONCOMMITTAL Thinks It Would Be Best to Relieve Charity Conditions--Two Other Re-
 quests for Benefit Sundays
 Made to Commission
WARD NONCOMMITTAL

An element of doubt yet remains as to whether or not the debt of $129. 60 remain ing to be paid on Miss Fancy" the chill dien's elephant at the zoo, will be paid soon. Frank w. Smith, president of the Birmingham Geological association, ap- reared before the city commissioners at their meeting yesterday morning and re- quested permission for the moving pie ture theatres to open Easter Sunday aft ernoon, the proceeds to be used toward paying the indebtedness on the elephant The matter was referred to President George B. Ward of the city commission to investigate and report.
 It was brought out in the meeting that heretofore motion picture theatres had been permitted to operate Sunday after moons only at the urgent request of local charities when the proceeds were dis tributed among these charities to be used in relieving the poor of the city. MT. Ward said for this reason he did not think it would be wise at this time to permit the theatres to open and devote l their net proceeds to the zoo.
 l Mir Smith replied that the city zoo had reached point that when anything , done for it came through charitable chan 1 nels and, while he did not want to be placed in the position of taking bread from the mouths of those that are in need, something should be done to meet the indebtedness on the elephant. Referred to Ward
 1 Judge Lane moved that the matter be placed before Commissioner ward for in- vestigation and report, which was done. It will be remembered that some years ago The Age-IIerald started movement to secure an elephant for n local zoo, which at that time was only in A tenta- tive form. The ZOO materiallzed. Through The Age-Heralds efforts fund of up- ward of $500 was raised and placed in bank to the credit of the elephant fund. Several years later the elephant was purchased, again through the efforts of The Age-Herald, which contributed $5G toward it's purchase. The Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company gave $500. These two donations, together with the amount in bank and $500 additional, which was borrowed on account of the elephant fund" made an amount suffl- cient to pay for Miss Fancy" and she found home at Avondale.
 A home was erected for the elephant, and she has been a source of great hap piness for the children of Birmingham. The $500 note, which was made to com plete the amount of her purchase was reduced to s129.eo through the efforts of the children of Birmingham and sev- eral public spirited citizens.
 That this debt should be removed is the opinion of hundreds of citizens
 Other Requests Presented
 The Sunday motion picture medium as source of revenue is becoming exceed ingly popular. Besides the request of the Geological association yesterday, re- quests were made to the city commits sion by Mrs. Woods, president of the Humane society, and by the ladies of Neighborhood House for the permission to operate the shows on Sunday for charity.
 The Neighborhood House request in all probability will be granted. The Hu- mane society request. like the Geological association request, will be delayed until the charity situation is relieved. The commissioners stated that they pre- viously had gone on record as opposed to the Sunday shows, but owing to the extraordinary condition which developed among the poor and destitute they had adopted policy of permitting the sun day show when the net proceeds went to charity and relief of needy people Until this condition is relieved, how ever" stated MT. Ward, T do not believe it would be proper to consider the opera ton of the shows for any other pur- pose"
 The Neighborhoo6 House committee was Mrs. J. Campbell Maben, Mrs Ster- ling J. Foster and Mrs. Harold R. San son. Mrs. Charles Whelan, accompan- jed Mrs. Wood in presenting the case of the Humane society.