Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-08-05
EDITORIAL.

adjourned Some $50 visitors from,
elsewhere were here for two days
The convention voted TO meet here
again next year. Times then I'm
doubtedly will be more favorable for
attendance and a much larger mum
Der Of visitors may be expected. Too,
the completeness Of 5He entertain
ment afforded this year by TIE Amer
Gus Masons, whose hospitality i had
not been the pleasure Of the members
from elsewhere TO taste for a period
of several years viii serve as an at
traction next year that viii in
crease the attendance materially.
a LEDING Georgia Mason, who
is a resident of Americas, was
talking to a Times-Recorder man a
day or two ago. q and a few other
Masons have a dream-a rather won
derful dream" said he, "and one that
is ehtiraly feasible and could be
: worried out II the people-the whole
eitg-woGlsi get behind Us. 1t is a
dream 81 acquiring a Masonic head
quarters w home here for the Third
District aEd make Americas ~le per-
manent Eeat Of this convention.
The old Y NJ. c. A. building,
NsNil5eh the Salvation Army recently
gave up when its plans fell through,
presents the opportunity 1t can be
acquired from the group of local ply
sicians who hold it. | understand, for
$50, 000-about what it cost them
It would require $4,000 to add an
other story to the building for a
lodge hall, 80 as to leave the re-
mainder or present building much as
it is, with all of it's facilities That is
a total of $4,000. There is loan
of $4,000 now on the building,
which would defer that much of the
total payment. Arrangements can
be made with DR. Prather for time
on another $4,000, which would
leave $4,000 in money all that
would be required to turn the deal
and make our dream come true.
UTO obtain this $4,000 we could
issue bonds against the property
and this would give us time on the
whole amount, which the Masons
could and would pay off in time as
the obligations came due. The rents
alone paid for lodge room use by the
various Masonic bodies would take
care Of the interest on the indebted
ness, leaving only the principal to be
raid, and that could be handled. The
only problem would come in mar
keting those bonds. They would
have to be taken locally. They could
be issued in baby bond form, that is
small amounts, so that everybody
could buy some of them, They would
be worthy investment, drawing in
terest and the principal to be paid
back some time.
69NoW, here is where the advant-
age to the public would come
in:
Making Americas the permanent
home of the convention, with an at
tractive lodge home for the visiting
Masons to come to, would mean thai
the convention would take on import
ance every year and it would be onl!
a short time until 1000 or NOR,
members would be coming here ev
cry year for the meeting from tn
surrounding territory When | tel
you that one Mason informed me thi
week that he had spent 500 on hi
visit here, it will be understood wha
I mean when I say this has much i'm
portance to the city at large, It woul
be prorortionately greater thin
for Americas than the Masonic Gran
Lodge is to the city of Macon
TOO, turning this fine propert
into a Masonic headquarters woul
preserve it for every purpose fc
which it was originally intended. TIL
baths, gymnasium, reading room, do
mitories and other convenience
would be retained and available f,
use, and that it a worthy consider
ton"
HERE is something for Americas
think about seriously. T
speaker characterized the whole as
dream but it is a dream which east
can be made to come true if we b
want it to come true. badly enoue
It is big proposition which won
cost none of us a cent actually, sin
it would call only for an investme
drawing interest and protected by
valuable piece of property, with t
greatest fraternal organization t
world has ever known behind it. '