The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-12
WOULD HAVE LAND LEGALLY MADE THE
 FINANCIAL BASIS
Jemison Back From Realty Convention and Oil Fields, Satisfied Home Owning
 Is Great Investment

"The annual convention of
 the National Association of
 Real Estate Boards at Kansas
 City marked great onward movement by the real estate men of this country, said Rob- ert Jemison, Jr., who has just returned from the convention
 and a little look-over trip to the oil fields of the southwest. The convention did several big things. not the least of which was the
 adoption of a resolution committing j, the body to national advertising campaign to educate the people of this | country to the importance of owner 1 ship of real estate. This action fol ! lowed the Illuminating address of For l rest Adair of Atlanta. in which he in- sisted that the advertising of real es- ! tate should be on much broader lines | than those upon which 1t Is now be- | ing conducted.
 1 He said that the average real estate
 man, as a rule, was endeavoring to sell, ! by advertising, a certain house or lot, | WHSlGd Ht WOulu lSdP iA4USAi -N~- ? VI | returns if he educated his community as to the significance of the ownership ! of land.
 I MT. Adair's remarks made deep 1 impression and the resolution for | national advertising campaign, which l l had the honor to offer. was adopted ! unanimously.
 1 preparations for the campaign are already under way, and predict that | it will be signally successful. There ! is no doubt that real estate, which was the original investment, is still I the best of all. There is no limita- l ton to the effective arguments which | may be made on that line.
 i MORAL SIDE This campaign has a moral as well
 as a material side. If it results in the increased ownership of land and 1 the multiplication of homes, as ie must inevitably do, 1t will have l powerful effect in curing unrest and 1 stabilizing conditions.
 Equally as important was the dis | cussion by the convention of the neces- l sity for stimulating the ownership of l homes. Tns consensus of opinion was l that mortgage loans were the cruX or | the problem and that some way should | be devised whereby mortgage loans on I real estate can be made more attrac- | tive to capital.
 1 | ter deserved the serious attention 1 of Congress, and that the burden of tnxes these loans should be l lessened. In brief, capital should | be encouraged to enter this field ] and help build up nation of home l owners instead of being barred from it.
 l "A higher standard of ethics among real estate men is another objective of l the association, and this was advanced l by the discussions. Altogether, 1t was a great meeting,
 1 Tn this connection 1t may interest the reople of Birmingham to learn that l Kansas City has just acquired, at cost ! of $S500O0 sites for civic center group ! of buildings as soldiers memorial, land the citizens have already raised | B. OO0 OO0 for buildings of various kinds | to be placed on this site. This example should be followed hy Birmingham and l the citizens should provide at once for ! civic center group on which buildings | of a public or semi-publc nature can | be located, according to progressive land harmonious scheme to be worked | out as the city, county and individuals | may from time to time find 1t possible | to undertake. For example one or the | late distinguished citizens of Kansas City has provided in his will for an art museum for Kansas City to be located or this civic center.
 1 DELAY MEANS LOSS l Delay in matter of this Kind ny DIT mingham will mean a tremendous loss 1 in dollars and cents to the taxpayers by reason of the future cost of land as ] compared with the present, and will also mean the loss of part of the insplra- 1 ton.
 "Following the adjournment Of the convention was three days session Of 1 the association composed of the develop | CTS of high class residential property l in twelve cities. It will be remembered ! that this association met in Birmingham | in February, 1920 and he members ex- l D, essed themselves as delignted with | what this city had to show in the way | of beautiful residential sections de- veloped on modern lines. The work at the Kansas City meeting was of the | same practical nature as that done at the previous meeting here, and all the participants were benefited by the ex- 1 change of views and experiences. and l the inspiration derived from a thorough and study of the wonderful Kansas City Country Club district. de- i veloped by J. c. Nichols, member of l this conference
 l "Afterward I made a flying trip to l the oil fields of the southwest. They are | teresting-wonderfully so-but re- turned home more firmly convinced l than ever that the opportunities offered | by Birmingham city and district are unequaled.'