The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 into detail about the amount and char acter of it's advertising.
 Awhile back many subscribers to daiics
 and weeklies raised a howl because the
 old pre-war prices were raised in order to keep pace with the ever climbing cost | of paper, printers, and everything going into the production of a newspaper. The
 subscriber frequently kicks about the amount of advertising in his favorite Journal, failing to realize that the ad- vertiser makes it possible for him to get
 his news at half or third of what | it would otherwise cost him.
 1 Both the front and back pages of the Times are taken up with classified ad- vertising and at a rate that would put q Birmingham paper on easy street. l found in a Tuesday paper more than three pages of this class of business. The first column of the first page starts off 1 with births under it comes marriages; | it seems to me that the latter should have been put before the former. It would at least be more proper and per haps better form. Then comes long list of deaths, and while you may think of the English as being conservative and slow, you must hand it to them when it comes to keep ing weather eye for their advertisers, | for immediately beneath the death and 1 in memoriam notices comes an adver- tisement of a cremation society, other | funeral societies, memorial tablets and inscriptions. Then comes nearly two columns of personals" Now. if you never read this column in a leading English publication, you missed as rare human document as is set forth anywhere in all the world day by day in print. It isn't the sloppy, sentimental, or vicious thing which We get out of such notices as appear in the classified pages of some of our yellow press in this country.
 
 A cry goes 6ut to find son by dis tracted parent; daughters address IS wanted by still loving mother; @ wife begs for some knowledge of her hus- l band; a change of name is heralded to the world; lieutenant wants living wage, ready to go anywhere and do any kthing. Then came notice which ap- pealed strongly to me, "A country vicar wishes to sell his books" Somehow back ' of this line seemed to see book lover | ready to part with his library not be- cause he had ceased to love it. but | through need of money.
 | Now, here comes well known name in l this office and this city, for Lady Mar l jorie Dalrymple is most anxious to find more workers for her depot. Now, what do you suppose this titled Englishwoman wants with more workers? You couldn't guess it in thousand years. She wants | them to engage in making artificial legs. I She says "this work is most interesting | and most important, and will continue for long time" Here is hoping that Lady Marjorie Dalryrnple will get all the help she needs in England in the leg making business It it's "leg-pullers' she wants she might look towards America. | American belles who have added consid- erable length to the legs of some of our "gilded youth"
 Now, get it out of your mind that the { English do not like Americans. In spite of all the gossip you may have heard ! from returning soldiers. l want to offer out of the Times personal column docu- mentary proof that the citizens of the United States are favorites in the land of John Bull: Advertiser desires paying guest American preferred" Now, do not be misled and jump to the conclusion that he shows preference for the Ameri- can because he wishes to hold him up. Not at aI Be it remembered that in war times many advertised their willingness to take guests without pay. Paying guest in the advertisement merely means that a post-war status now obtains. l Now, here comes about as close a
 proposition to those we Are ac- customed to read under personals in some of our metropolitan dailies. as
 ran across. but after examining it as best I could I have come to the con-
 clusion that the censor was not asleep when 1t got in so respectable a sheet as | the Times: Widow well educated, seeks i post as companion or secretary to elder l ly or invalid gentleman" of course no gentleman, unless he met the widows | conditions, would think of engaging her. l
 l Here is an advertisement that strikes out into new fields; Communal house. keeping. Ex-officer with wife and two children desires to try above, near Regents Park or Hampstead Heath pre- ferred; four-bed one sitting and nursery: will bring maid and nurse; moderate terms essential" hope he gets what he l wants. but no such thing could be had in Birmingham for two very good req sons-in the first place, no one ever so much as heard of communal house. keeping and if there was such a GUS tom, no one would qualify for it by furnishing a maid and nurse. Anybody with two servants would be willing to keep house alone
 ] These are a few notices selected at
 random. close with these two: Will kind friend help elderly clergyman to closed motor? Country duty several miles, I hope some friend volunteers" Here Is the other: Partner wanted in