The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-23
For Good of
 the Community

and closes 1t With clever llttle door that works on the neatest of hinges ac- complishes that feat because he works; makes the effort Break that door and in twenty-four hours it is back again. The material is spun from the spiders own body. Mighty busy fellow to do so much in such short space of time.
 The human who keeps at it accom- plishes He who sits on the wayside suck ing his thumbs and declaring that 1t is go- ing to be wet and cold tomorrow because it is so today, is both fool and a liar. Fact IS, If 1t is wet today, 1t is more than likely to be dry tomorrow; if cold today, it is that much closer to the returning warm spell.
 The men who are going ahead now are serving themselves as well as the com munity, for they will be ready when resur- rected trade comes down the highway of industry and commerce wearing his seven-leagued boots and starts the big wheels whirring in another tuneful chorus.
 The first order for pressed steel car wheels received by the new car works of the ChickaSaW company embraces 600 cars for the Louisville and Nashville. Half are to be gondolas for general freight service, the other half coke cars for ex- elusive use in the Birmingham district and nearby territory. These coke cars never leave Alabama. They serve this state; they do not get lost out on the line of the Ellen NJ or other roads.
 Quite appropriate that the first order for new Birmingham industry should have come from the "Ellen N," because that is one of the districts arteries. Years ago "Ellen N money went into the estab- lishment of the first steel works at Ensley and it's money went in past times into many other Birmingham paths.
 It is peculiarly gratifying to know that the Ellen NJ is at this time spending $33, 100000 about as rapidly as it can be spent in improvement of it's service. Fol- lowing is the schedule of improvement work authorized or outstanding since termination of federal control, March 1, 1920:
 New locomotives, $3,811,930.
 New freight cars, S14,875,OO0
 New passenger cars, $2,O42, 1896.
 Additional and improved yard termi- nal facilities, S2,169,88O
 Construction of new lines and passing tracks, $1,911,016.
 Miscellaneous improvements, including depots, bridges, improved roadway facili- ties and other general betterments, $8,- 585, 1892.
 Of this sum over $2O, 900, 900 is for new power and equipment, including AZ en- . zines, AZ passenger train cars and 4,8OO freight cars.
 It is good to have this amount of money spent by railroad, because it's expendi- ture will keep a lot of men and machinery busy. It is especially gratifying to south ern people to realize that southern rail- road, whose money has been made in the south, was able to finance such large ex- penditure for improvement purposes at time when most corporate enterprises were hiding in their holes with the key on the inside.
 Is is mighty fine when one gets to thinking about it to have big public utility enjoying pros perity. Unless these utilities have the money with which to go ahead, they simply don't do it. Thes lag behind and the service that they should give the people also lags When the utilities of com munity able to maintain the pace it is proof to the outside world that the community where it has its habitat and serves is live place conducted by live people.
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