The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-16
EVEN AUDITORIUM
 IS SUFFERING FROM LACK OF HARMONY
Thinks Too Many Citizens
 Are Selfish and Charge
 Selfishness to Others Who Are Making Best Efforts

commission, stated yesterday that if the citizens of Birmingham were in a more
 CO., operative frame of mind and not so suspicious of each other a civic audi
 torium could be constructed very quickly, and incidentally other great things would be projected by the com missioners.
 Everyone in this city seems to be
 in the attitude of trying to keep the other fellow from cashing in," he said.
 There is always a suspicion that Bill
 Jones or John Smith is going to make little money out of the city, and thus one crowd is always fighting the other crowd, which makes progress in any direction very difficult, and also tries severely the patience of patriotic citi-
 zens who conscientiously are seeking to help Birmingham"
 ''Is that what is holding up the Roden project?" inquired the reporter
 Well, it is not helping the project by any means" replied MT Ward, "as
 several citizens have already been whispering about the corridors of the city hall that something big is about to be put over, and of course such ru-
 mors always makes the blood rush to the heads of excitable persons And we have many of these.'
 MIND IS OPEN
 Are you for the Roden hotel project?' T am neither for it nor against it. until Chairman Miner of the Chamber of Commerce committee comes out with
 his plans and sketches. If the plans
 appear to fit what Birmingham needs, l will be for it, as I am firmly con- vinced that we need an auditorium,
 and I will be very easily converted to any substantial plan that will bring such a structure to this city. You may a bigger city booster, and any other kind of booster that means progress and prosperity to this city.
 1 But what really would like to see
 is the people getting little closer l together. Here is the Roden hotel project submitted to the commission. Whatever the merits of the proposition warning camps. Rather is should
 bring the citizens together and | if eh proposition is not good it
 should be rejected. Then some other proposition should be taken up. There is some cry of having some ! rich, patriotic citizens coming out and give Birmingham free site for the some rich citizen would listen to the pleas of the commission, but I am as- sured that they are not listening very
 we'll this season. It takes too much | hard work to get rich. Men are not
 giving away their property through an .s~.A.- III l They attain wealth for their own in
 dividua1 comfort and also desire to
 leave competency to their families when they die.
 FORMER KICK MADE | And then again it has been sug- gested that the auditorium be placed | in public park. About two years ago when the auditorium bond issue cam patgn was started I suggested placing l the structure in West park, but imme- diately several well known gentlemen I of selfish instincts started wild hull | laballoo about breathing space for the children and the conservation of what park system We have in Birmingham. Well, I am just as much of an en- thusiast for public parks as anyone in | the city. I am also strong advocate
 of breathing space for the children, but | if you will pardon the expression, it | gets my goat, to nave some OlQ repro 1 bate with an ax to grind in the shape
 of some property he desires to dump off on the city yelling himself hoarse because the commission is likely to do
 something without spending any money | in his particular direction. We have
 many of that type of citizens in Bir- l mingham.
 What is the present status of the auditorium proposition as far as con cerUS the city COmmiSSiOn?"
 We are awaiting developments. In the meanwhile, as I have stated, one crowd is closely watching the other | in the selfish fear that someone Is | going to make few dollars without 1 everyone getting crack at the public grab bag. If the newspapers really | want an auditorium let them preach a | little more cooperation and more all truism regarding the motives of the men who are seriously trying to make of
 Birmingham a great city. Let's get to-
 gether."