The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-14
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

A few years back when a noted land scape artist was asked to lay out civic pam for Birmingham. he was lookins upon visionary because he desired to make provision for landing places for airplanes.
 Yet it has already come to pass that We have. been hard put to accommodate the flyers. and even the fair grounds have been inadequate. It is true a number have lit in ft but others flying above the city and unacquainted with the ter rain below have had to come down in various parts of the district.
 One of the stumbling blocks along the path of every growing city is lack of foresight, the inability to comprehend the needs of the future. Birmingham like many of her sister cities has suffered from this myopic trouble which seems 10 always atncke the city fathers and blind them to the wonderful possibilities in the years ahead.
 
 Now, am taking this line because we have begun to agitate again the building of an auditorium and the laying out Of the nucleus of a civic center. It will be better to postpone the matter unless our people are ready to undertake the prob- lens connected herewith by rising to the needs in a big way to insure that the buildings will be commensurate with the future growth of this truly Magic City.
 l remember the old court house which stood on the site of the present one It was in it's day considered to be a marvel of convenience and large enough for years to come. Then the town grew to be a city and the commissioners wen. and believed would be a building big enough for half century or more. 1t did look mighty handsome and com. modious in the day of its completion.
 I may be called down by architects and sN'SAS VI eiAO oCdAIilu LII lOI SdyIlS IL Out the present court shouse when finished was in my opinion the handsomest one in the south. It seemed to me to be in perfect taste and free from the tawdry garishness of so many of our public buildings. The dark red brick, the lighter terra cotta trim, the gray stone founda tion and the slate roof give to it soft ness which is most restful. I take off my hat to the old board which built it.
 But if you wish to know what I anl driving at. and it is this, that in planning for Birminghams future we cannot measure up to it's potential power if we keep our eyes glued on the present. There is call for the far look. It needs men of faith and daring to show to the faint hearted and tinhid that they are blocking it's progress by lack of understanding of it's true greatness. A prophet is needed who will break the spell of benightec on-comprehension that right here iu Jones valley is to be the greatest city os the south
 
 Now, back to the court house to clinch my point. If you really want to lear,l just how fast the imperial county oi Jefferson has marched in the past In order to see to it that she is not cramped in her future stride, just take an houl off and begin in the basement of the court house and wind your way through it's labyrinthian darkness and you will sec how important officers are stuck away in almost dungeon like quarters.
 But if you have been troubled by the smell of gas on the corners outside you need not seek belief in the corridors of our underground public mausoleum, for while the county jail has been freed from odor the court house on the ground floor can be convicted of "fragrancy," and it's a bit humorous that one of the sanitary engineers office is almost next door to a stench that is almost stifling. and puts in daily peril the life of the elevator man, that is if bad smells are conducive to sickness. The health department wisely moved across the street.
 But I am not going to ask you to heal me descant on the three floors above where courts are hid here and there and it takes search warrant to locate any particular judge on the bench. believe in saving the peoples money but not at the expense of waste of theil time. and as a man who has to hole a. brief for the public I would suggest the propriety and need of the proper par ties to furnish guides for those wh( have to attend court or transact any business with our county officers. Bear in mind am not throwing off or the present county commissioners fol they are good fellows and my warm per sonal friends, but I am merely setting forth a situation to show that those whc have to plan for the growth of the Magic City and of imperial Jefferson must not be men of little minds and short visions but must be big men of brains and vivic imaginations.
 I stick to it that viewed from the front our court house is even today a pleasing and imposing public building, but if it ha: a Queen Anne front. alas! it has Mary Anne back, and I am not bold enough tt claim that its hinterside is attractive | Take it for good or bad, there is stands as a. daily witness to the fact that Bir | ;r tn ho