The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-27
Dr. EdmOnds Brings the Visitors to Their Feet With His Address on "Caveat Emptor"
AUTOMOBILE RIDES GIVE THEM CHANGE
 TO SEE WHOLE CITY
Cold Supper at the Country Club Last Night Was Closing Feature of Busy Day

l More than 551 real estate men from all ! parts of the country were entertained by the Birmingham Real Estate Exchange | yesterday at luncheon at the Tutwiler, two automobile rides, cold supper at the Country club, and one of the. greatest addresses ever heard in Birmingham that delivered by pr. Henry M. Edmonds at the Tutwiler luncheon at 3 o'clock. | Dr. Edmonds subject was "Caveat | Emptor," and he handled it in his own ! inimitable style a style which brought forth continual applause from his hearers. As he made his final bow, the entire | crowd surged to it's feet as one man and shouted it's approval of his words. Ladies waved tiny handkerchiefs and the
 men waved huge napkins in chautauqua salute such as probably never before was accorded a speaker in Birmingham. It
 was several minutes before the applause
 had ceased sufficiently for President Gus A. Pope, Jr., of the local exchange, to
 make few announcements.
 BEGINS IN LIGHTER VEIN Dr. Edmonds began his address in a light vein, and told the real estate men and their ladies that the translation of "Caveat Emptor'' was '1et the buyer be-
 ware.' He then humorousIy illustrated the application of the subject assigned to him as regards the real estate man, his words dealing particularly with his efforts to rent or buy a home in Birmingham on the occasion of his coming here to re- side.
 He said that certain local real es-
 
 house one day. "This man. said Dr.
 Edmonds, called my attention to the tremendous amount of light the house afforded. He told me to observe the ! numerous windows, which let in a flood of light, saying that in these days of advancement, much light was needed. "The next day this same man called for me to inspect another house. I mo- ticed in this house that there was
 conspicuous lack of light and called the real estate mans attention to the room We were in, and which was very poorly lighted. This room he said reverently, is like little child It is just such a room as one would need in matters re- ligious Little light is required for the
 worship of God, and this house is just
 what you want. "
 IN SERIOUS VEIN
 Getting to the serious in his address, Dr. Edmonds said: Every man lives his
 own life, it is true and to certain ew- tent my subject is correct as regards your attitude to your fellows. But you
 have no right to take anything away from him.
 "One crime of which real estate men sometimes are guilty is that of oversell- ing; of selling a man more than he can afford to buy; of overpersuading man to buy that which he does not need and l<,rx orn i,o fn Ia hvy your town, you can't afford to do this. There are other days coming. I have seen young men who had bought real estate that was a little too heavy for them, and they had it in for the man who sold it to them They did not feel that they had been cheated. Rather. they felt they had been ill advised. They felt the man from whom they had made the purchase was not a good adviser. ''If real estate man wants to have memories worth while in his old age, he must make the reputation of being good adviser. You have seen in your offices some young man come in and say, Well, I got rid of it. and some of the other fellows in the office would nudge one another and say, he's smart one; he's sharp trader, all right And per- haps that young man wonders why he don't get a raise.
 .I'll tell you: It's because the boss
  ward countryman who is too ignorant to be anything but honest, rather than a man who is known as sharp trader. Your methods may not be exactly illegal, but they have an unpleasant aftermath and do your firm more harm than good ALLEN WELCOMES GUESTS B. M Allen, an associate member or the Birmingham Real Estate exchange, was asked by President Pope to welcome the guests, and he did so in his usual happy manner. MT. Allen told the visitors something of what Alabama has in the way of agricultural lands; of what this 1 state can do agriculturally. pointing out that more than bale of cotton to the acre can be raised with ease: that corn to the extent of PAP bushels to the acre is
 grown in Alabama; that cattle and hogs thrive here as in no other state in the union, and that alfalfa originated in this state and is one of it's money crops. M F. Messer, a veteran real estate man, followed MT. Allen and told some thing of the work of the local exchange, presenting President Walter c. Piper of Detroit of the National Association of Real Estate Exchanges, with certificate of honorary membership in the Birming- ham Real Estate exchange. President Piper responded in a few words, express ing his appreciation of the honor. The automobile trip of the morning, on which the guests were carried to the in
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