The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-08-04
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

/ went to the dinner given by the So
cial workers at the Hillman yesterday,
and in many ways it was truly notable
affair
In the first place. the attendance was
fine, and in the next place, those pres
emit were in the foremost ranks of Biz
mingham's civic workers 1t was like
roll call of the men and women who,
day in and day out, are trying to serve
this community by making it better
place in which to live and do business.
1t would be hard to get together
ynore representative crowd. 1 looked
about and saw lawyers, doctors, preach
ers, merchants, manufacturers, bankers,
real estate and insurance men, polite
ians, college presidents and others.
1t was equally as interesting to pick
out the numbers of women who are con-
spicuous in club life, in society circles
in charity work, in church endeavor
There were suffragists and anti-suffra-
gists. Rich and poor, maid and matron
sitting side by side.
Jews and gentiles were fraternizing,
Catholics and Protestants we're shoulder
to shoulder, representatives of liberal
and evangelical wings of Christianity
were chatting amiably with one another.
In other words, while it was not put
in words, it was in the atmosphere that
in spite of difference in politics, in bust
ness and in religion, and in many other
things, all had come together on
broad social basis of service to sink diff
ferences for the time, and see how many
points of agreement could be found 1t
was a get-together occasion.
The work being done by the Associa-
ton of Social Workers of Birmingham
has never been fully appreciated by the
public and few on the outside realize
Just how varied are it's activities, but
the insiders, they know.
AS the speakers were speaking I be-
gan to study the faces of the men and
women present. Bad manners, you say,
and not respectful to those on the pro-
gramme Not at all. l heard every word
they said but 1 was anxious to see the
effects of the speeches. They went home,
. good and strong.
We hear a great deal in the movies
about faces registering fear, anger,
pleasure, pain, joy and other emotions,
and know that 1t is the expressive face
that makes the fortune of a film star,
but I do not wait to watch the screens.
must do this if he hopes to have any
effect on those to whom he is deliver
ing his message
The first night / spoke at the Lyric
in the interest of the liberty loan bonds
came near having sure enough stage
fright, because the glare of the foot
lights were so strong that 1 could not
recognize the faces of those out before
me and, therefore, was all the time Won
dering if / was getting my message
over" to use a. theatrical term.
Well, the big-hearted manufacturer. j.
r. McWayne, got his over without any
trouble, for he spoke naturally and about
things he knew himself. He is no
theorist when it comes to the colored
brother, but being reared in the south
knows him through and through, and as
he has to handle large numbers of them
daily, is familiar with his virtues and
vices as laborer.
The keynote of his address was justice.
| 1t is up to the white people of the south
| to be just and to see that the negro gets
| justice. The race troubles in the east
and the west are but the beginning of
the antagonisms that the negro will
| have to go up against when he leaves
the south in large numbers to take the
place of white labor in those sections.
| This gives us here in the south our
chance to show the negro that we are his
| friends.
| The talk of Mrs. w. l.. Murdoch, who
| is one of the most efficient workers in
tho state, was broad handling of the
merely on sentimental, but on moral and
economic grounds. Through the years
she has been a valiant champion of chill
dren, and has broken many a lance with
those who were exploiting them. She
knows the laws on child labor all over
the country and is fearful that certain
sinister influences are now at work to
nullify the very excellent ones on our
statute books in Alabama. Her address
was compact and full of meat for the
little ones good,
DR.. Bayley, who closed, was embar-
raised by having to take the place of
DR., Edmonds, who had been called out
Of town to conduct funeral He, how
ever, rose to the occasion, and made a
sane and stirring speech for better ap-
lpreciation of humanity. We must take
an interest in human welfare 1t was
never more urgent. The war only inten-
sified the call for service, and peace
would bring its great opportunity for the
coming together of the conflicting races
to a better understanding of one an
others difficulties and trials.
POSTMASTER Frank Rushton was at his
best. The only complaint 1 heard was
that Frank kept his own thoughts and
1 T.