The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-14
For Good of
 the Community


 sibly be anything else because they were children and out of the children grew the men and women that they are. Simplest thing in the world and the oftenest forgot.
 In the Chinese theatre at San Francisco one night party of Birmingham folk sat on the stage, according to the custom of placing the visitors, and faced an au- dience-o of 2,000 round-faced Celestials of both sexes and every age-men, women, children and babes Itwas monotonous setting, lit up only by the whimsical se- riousness of the conveyed children.
 The acting was tiresome, a sing-song kind of affair composed of two men do- ing lot of talking. The orchestra was a man playing a one-stringed fiddle and another drumming kind of tom-tom. All at once that audience of men, women and children, babies and all became a mass of merriment. Ripping laughter of women and children met coarser gulf flaws of mirth- provoked males.
 The reason? A seat occupied by one . of the Celestials had given way and he had been unceremoniously committed to the floor. That was all, but it was suf- ficient to convulse 2,000 placid Chinese, because the children were children and the adults grown-up children
 From this to the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce is a journey, but not much of one in the light of the chambers lat est enterprise. From March 26 to April 2 the chamber is to hold "Own-Yo our Own-Home" exposition. This exposi- tion is intended to visualize home owner ship so that men and women who are thinking of homes will be shown how homes may be acquired. They will be taken into home-acquiring kindergar- ten and told all about it.
 Building and loan exhibits will be there to show the home-Seeker what they will do to help him acquire home Archi- tects will furnish plans of homes. Mate rial men will provide displays of building materials. Realtors and realty compa- nies will have exhibits of home neighbor- hoods with prices of lots and houses al- ready built and that will be built if de- sired. They will furnish data explaining how they finance home building, terms of repayment, interest charges and the like.
 The man or woman seeking home will learn more about what home in given neighborhood of given character will cost m half hour Tn this eXnlDlC room than through week of travel through real estate offices, those of the building and loan associations and conferences with those who lend money and finance home building. It will all be before the eye at glance. The man and woman are but grown-up children. They need things made plain to them.
 All these Chinese laughed at very simple thing. It is when religion, busi- ness, civic duties, neighborly obligations and well-directed charity are reduced to simple forms that men and women under stand and act, because they are children grown up. The home building theory re- duced to the concrete by plans, sketches, maps and figures that all can understand will be worth tonnes of pleading and ex- hortation.
 The negroes are not bit unwise in having the entire congregation walk before the pulpit and let their dollars clank down in the platter, where all may hear and see. Suggestion by the eye is more powerful than suggestion by words, be- cause the eye is direct and words are feeble and beat about the bush.
 The motion picture is being used to educate the nation Maps and architects plans, specifications