The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-08
For the Good of
 the Community

Montgomery the past eight weeks very unpleasant situation relative to the atti- tude of the balance of the state towards Birmingham and Birmingham industrial district developed
 lime and again evidences of hostility to Birmingham cropped out and this hos tility was carried into several provisions of the bill as finally passed and handed on to the governor.
 There must be some cause for this. Whether It IS due to ignorance, prejudice, Jealousy or hate 1t matters not. It is there and that is the one disagreeable fact.
 Itwould serve no good purpose to dwell upon the conditions as they exist, but call ing attention to them may result in some effective remedial work.
 It is sad commentary on the intelli- gence, patriotism and love of state, so often iterated and reiterated by word of mouth and in action, this hate or prejudice against the great industrial center of the state, that such condition does exist It should be overcome, but it never will be unless Birmingham takes some steps to bring about the change.
 There are half dozen or more organ izations in Birmingham, organizations whose membership embraces practically all of the business, industrial and profes- sional leaders and workers in the city and suburbs. They have it in their power to reverse this condition.
 A campaign of education is needed, campaign worked out systematically, ju- diciously and wisely. The best minds of the city and district ought to be put to work on it. By counsel and study and work they can devise some way of offset ting the virus spread abroad over the state by demagogues who think 1t is popular to denounce capital and industrial activity
 Birmingham is made up, in large part of Alabamians. Not a county in the state but is represented among the substantial and active business and industrial men of the city. They have friends back home who could, and no doubt, would, help to ~ preach the gospel of brotherly love and state pride were the matter put up to them in the proper light.
 Who ever heard of Georgian be- littling or attacking Atlanta? Atlanta is :. the Mecca of all Georgia. Every person, man, woman or child, in the state of Geor- gia is booster for Atlanta. There is no envy or petty jealousy against the me. tropolis of the sister state to the east.
 Why should not Alabamians entertain the same feeling towards Birmingham, the states biggest and most progressive city?
 Birmingham has not grown at the expense of any other city section, but has grown because of the rich natural resources, the investment of millions of dollars and the application of brains to their development. Scattered all over the state men and women who have reaped financial rewards from investments in Birmingham Some of the members of the legislature, voicing their prejudice against Birmingham, own property in Birmingham that pays them handsome dividends.
 The various civic organizations ought to start |. campaign of education throughout the state. Go out and get acquainted with the people, Let them see with their own eyes that Birmingham and Bir- mingham citizens are not the monsters they are painted by designing politicians. Let them know what Birmingham really is and what is being done here Make them understand that whatever hurts or retards growth in Birmingham is hurtful to the balance of the state.
 One of the most telling epithets employed in the legislature during the debates the revenue bill was "coal barons.' It never failed to produce the effect desired, and it was often used
 Because consumers in other parts of the state are compelled to pay from $7.5O to $9 ton for r domestic coal, it is constantly dinned into their