The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-19
ALABAMA'S ADVANCE

Most people are so busy With thelr personal affairs, especially persons in the cities, that they overlook the ex- pansion and progress being made in many parts of the state. All of this development contributes to the pros perity of the cities which largely draw their sustenance from the outside. It is a pleasure to note the varied evi- dences of steady and varied progress made in Alabama from time to time. Every step for improvement in pro- duction methods, enlargement in facil- ities, advancement in quantity and quality of products, is just so much benefit not only to the town or com munity immediately concerned, but to every other city and town and to the state.
 Within a few days The Age-Herald has noted many evidences of progress in various parts of Alabama:
 Building permits issued in Mobile during the year will represent an in- vestment of nearly two millions of dollars. Fertilizer tonnage sold in the state in 1922 and 1923 was the largest since 1914. Strawberry shipments in creased from 147 cars in 1920 to 726 for manufacturing concentrated fer tilizer was started in Anniston. Bank deposits at Phenix-Gerard during the past year increased more than twenty tper cent. The satsuma industry during this year has been the most success ful in it's history, and the crop is valued at more than a million and a quarter dollars. The largest bridge project ever undertaken in Alabama is under way at Reese's Ferry and will be an important link on the Birming- ham-Montgomery highway. Selma is preparing to do fifty thousand dollars worth of street paving, while many other towns are making large improve ments of this sort. Boys pig, COW, corn and cotton clubs are being or ganized in Etowah and other counties. Health work in the vicinity of Wilson Dam is on a hundred per cent. basis, while there are encouraging activities in this constructive field in nearly every part of the state. Tuscaloosa is building many new homes and start ing other important building enter prises. A handsome new church is ready for occupancy at Gordo. More than sixty new homes have gone up at Bestville, near Jasper, within the year. The schools and colleges are ali making progress in building and equip ment programs, as we'll as in efficiency of instruction. Talladega is working on modern new high school build ing, Tuscaloosa is preparing to erect high school structure to cost nearly half a million dollars. In Walker county there are thirty-three state and county aid libraries, twelve school li- braries and twenty-two circulating li- braries. Eufaula will soon erect a new hundred thousand dollar school | expend hundred and fifty thousand dollars for school building improve ments. Athens College is to have a now seventy-thousand dollar dormi- tory.
 These are only a few of the evil dences of progress in the state which were recently announced. Scores of others might be added. Whether in manufacturing, commerce, agricultural activities or educational advancement, the story is encouraging to those who interpret facts. What has been ac- complished of late in the various fields of constructive effort is mere begin ming of what can and will be done when the people of Alabama wake up to their opportunities for development.
 The anthropologists who declare that within another century blondes will be extinct forgets that women will be