The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-30

MAKLAND, Cal, is nothing II not
VI ambitious. When San Francisco
was heap of ruins, following DIS
astrous earthquake and even more de-
structive fire, Oakland is said to have
schemed to rob her sister city across
the bay of her
Growing Pains Are greatness. How
Felt by Oakland ever, the lnooni-
liable spirit Of
San Franciscos business men soon
shattered that dream, if it ever ex-
listed.
However. the action taken by the
Oakland Chamber of Commerce In try
ing to persuade twenty-seven other
Oaklands in the United States to sur
render their rame to the California
citv because it is the "oldest and big
gest." indicates that the town is still
troubled with case of deep-seated
municipal egotism.
Letters sent out to the authorities
of the other Oaklands in the country,
with the suggestion that they surren-
der the name, since "the international
fame we have achieved must naturally
present perplexing obstacle to your
own recognition" having failed Of
their purpose, it is now proposed to
hold convention in Oakland sometime
next year of all the municipal heads OF
the twenty-seven cities for the purpose
of convincing them that Oakland, Cal,
is alone entitled to the name.
AS all expenses will be paid, some of
the mayors may go, Gust for the trip,
but they will hardly take the sugges-
ton of the California city seriously.
Cities infinitely larger than Oakland
have their names scattered all over
the map, and in some cases the appli-
cation is ludicrous, as when some lit
tie crossroads village takes the name
of a world-famous metropolis, but no
objections are made.
Oakland is busting town, fine
town, with over two hundred thousand
population, but it has no copyright on
its name and never will have.
n
MNTHILE it is possible to worry
wv along through life without
books, the poet has it that we can't
live without cooks. 1t is equally true
that we can't-that is large part of
us can't-attend to business without
the help of Of
Progress Stayed by flee boys. A
Office Boy Famine humble and use
full cog in the
wheel, despite the abuse showered on
the office boys head, once his place is
vacant an otherwise we'll ordered es-
Establishment seems on the verge of COL
lapse.
For these reasons and many other
reasons having to do with the merits
of the office boy, which greatly over
shadow his propensity to get into mis-
chief, his penchant for making all
kinds of disagreeable noises and an
uncanny quality he has of disappear
ing just at the moment when he is
wanted most, the present office boy
famine in New York is causing grave
concern 1t is said that the morning
papers one day recently carried more
than a thousand advertisements of
nearly seven hundred firms who want
boys and want them badly.
However, the explanation is quite
simple. The missing youngsters have
not gone on strike. Most of them are
back in school, leaving, it would ap-
pear, an aching void behind them. The
infantile paralysis epidemic delayed
the opening of the city schools and the
boys held their jobs literally to the last
moment. When the authorities finally
decided that it was safe to open the
schools they quit work in droves. To
make matters verse, there is an un-
precedented volume of business to han
die.
Any ambitious youngster who as