davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
------------------------- INDUSTRIES AND TAXES

The action of the Alabama legislature in repeating the statutes granting tax immunity to water power companies is so well forti- fled both by the highest judicial opinion and by the example of legislatures of other states that the members can well be tolerant of adverse criticism of their action. They have the approval of the federal supreme court, of their own consciences, and of the majority of the people of Alabama for their record. They cannot justly be charged with littleness and dishonor when the highest court rules that their action is legal and not subject to the charges of bad faith. The fear expressed in some quarters that the repeal of the tax exemption statutes would have a deterrent effect on new capital in- vestments in Alabama is not borne out by the record of other states which have no such statutes, notably North Carolina, ire quently quoted as an example for this state to follow. The question of tax exemptions certainly cannot have entered into the es tablishment of cotton mills in North Caro- lima.
 Clearly Alabama should do her part to win a proper share of these new industries, but assuredly her legislatures repeal of tax exemption statutes cannot be responsible for situation that existed prior to the leg islature's action. Alabama needs and will welcome additional cotton mills, but per haps the capitalists do not know it. There is need for advertising and active solicita- tion of prospective industries to induce them to locate here. Doubtless most of them are not aware of our legislatures policy, and would not be influenced by it one way or the other, if they were.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
TALKING IT TO DEATH

The senate of the United States, in scut- ting the merchant marine, has enacted for the past week scene which for the public and itself as well has teen a masterpiece of wearisomeness. Members of that stately body have vicd with each other in making record filibuster speeches. Time and tide were as nothing; the ship subsidy had to be talked to death It did not matter in the least what subject was talked on, or whether any subject at all. Harangues six hours long about anything under the sun there were, and rehashing of mouldy speeches from congressional records recovered from the dustbin, where they might better have been allowed to remain at least as long as Tutankhamen lay undisturbed.
 The Kansas City Times thinks all this should end, and says:
 The lack of reasonable cloture rule
 operates to completely nulify the pur-
 pose for which the senate was consti-
 tuted. No legislative body of the size
 to which the senate has grown can get
 legislative results while it is permitted
 to talk against time. Unlimited discus
 sion is an evil when its right is abused,
 and the filibuster as the senate prac-
 tices it is such an abuse. It is not al-
 lowed in court, for it would defeat
 justice. It is hot allowed in any busi-
 ness assemblage, for it would stop the
 wheels of industry. Only in the senate
 is unlimited discussion tolerated.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01

criticism is shown by the proposal to group the Mobile and Oiho with the Southern sys- tenn, whereby it is believed by many that the port of New Orleans would be benefited at the expense of the port of Mobile. In simi- lar manner, officials of western lines argue that the consolidation of lines as proposed and upsetting groupings already established by the exigencies of business would cause the practical abandonment of costly termi- nals and deprive certain centers of business they now enjoy. Of course, the greatest good to the greatest number is the principle the commission is bound to follow, but in a matter involving such deep and far-reaching changes it may not at once appear just what is the greatest good to the greatest number For that reason the commission needs to proceed with the utmost caution and to re- tain jurisdiction for future adjustment in case the results demand it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
Poor Boys Who
 Became Famous By FREDERICK HOUK LAW
Horace Greedy

Horace Greely's handwriting was so thoroughly bad that he himself couldn't read it. He wore such queer whiskers, such an odd hat, and such curious clothes that peo- pie laughed. The sculptors who tried to make his figure look noble had to present him sitting down, holding his hat in his hand. In spite of alhhis oddities he became great editor, the founder of great paper, and candidate for the presidency.
 Horace Greely's father had gaod-fsr-noGhing farm, got into debt, and had to run away to keep from being arrested. When the sheriff sat down in the old home the Greedy family, including sickly little Horace, went to work as ''hired help" on farms.
 The smell of printers ink had always appealed to Horace, and he became apprentice on a country newspaper in Vermont. He earned the magnificent sum of forty dol lars a year, and shared that with his father! One day he made up bundle, set out as a sort of tramp and went to New York. lie was twenty years old, had exactly ten dollars, and looked the world in the face. He was determined to work. The only job he could find was the hardest job in New York-and he took it. He went to work setting up the Bible in such small type that he could hradly See rAe pieces of metal he picked up. The pay was equally small. But he worked. He got more work, and saved. few dollars. He set up a printing of flee and lost money. Still he kept on, and finally with friend estab- lished a newspaper that was so sue cessful that it lost the first year $3,000; the second year $2,0OO, and the third year $2,000 more. He kept on printing, editing, mak- ing little money, and losing it., and at last, with borrowed money, established the Tribune. In the first week he had on.y 500 sub scribers. Seven weeks later he had over II 900. He did just what he had done on the Vermont village newspaper, iC WIOLC llhC 1AOl dCC Greedy and like no one else, and he said what he thought. He was in- dependent and honest and had the courage of his convictions. He wrote vigorously on every import ant topic, but on none more im- portant than that Of anti-slavery. With all his great force he opposed slavery and it's extension, and led to the election of Lincoln. He wrote popular books, gave many lectures, and made great sums of money. Money, however. always slipped \ through his fingers, but he never lost kindness of heart. As con- gressman, candidate for the presi- dency, editor. friend, he was mark ed with kindness. In a thousand ways he tried to do good and to make people happy. When he died everyone acknowledged that he had been one of the best and most Iowa. ble of men-a distinct American character
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01

nobody will be poorer in purse and the country will be richer in highly desirable way. Many people have sentimental feel ing for trees, poets particularly, but it is doubtful if they ever did any planting. Others have loved them almost with passion. Washington Irving was fond of rhapsodiz- ing over them and John Randolph would not allow even twig to be cut on his estate. The tree association encourages the practi- cal proof of this esthetic appreciation and by increasing it's membership will perform a very real service to the country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
WARRIOR RATE DIVISION

~ Congressman Oliver has presented to con- gress a plan whereby the Warrior would di- vide revenue with the railroads on joint hauage on the basis of mileage. Two miles of water haul would be made equivalent to one mile of water haul. It is not probable that the plan can be discussed and adopted during the short tine left for legislation, 2 but it shows that congress can remedy what the Interstate Conn cree Commission has failed to remedy. And as presaged in these
 columns several days ago, the remedy ap- piled by congress would perhaps be more
 drastic than the railroads will obtain by voluntary readjustment of the rate divisions. Certainly the proposal of Mr. Oliver is dras- tic and is perhaps more than the waterway management would demand in conference. Nevertheless, it shows that Alabama's con- gressmen are on the alert to do whatever they can to promote the development of Alabamas waterways and seaport.
 @ An underlying difficulty at least should be removed from the path of the Warrior, 'ecialy low competitive rail rates imposed for the very purpose of impeding the water @ways. As Senator Underwood recently de- 2 clared. the railroads should not be permitted $ to wage rate wars upon the waterways which the government is seeking to establish on a also from the Interstate Commerce Commis- $ sion it's recent decision would have been ma sterially strengthened.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
THE CASE OF TONY BOVO

For thirty-two years Tony Bovo toiled in American steel mills. He came to this country when sixteen years old, an illiterate Italian boy, but he was not afraid of work, and while yet stripling he got a job at Youngstown, Ohio. He rose to the position of foreman, educated his three American born boys and bought home for his family, for which he paid cash. But Tony did not learn to read and write. And thereby hangs a tale.
 Tony decided that he would visit his na- tive land and see his old mother before she died. He took along his wife and boys, to give them the benefit of travel. Illness,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
THE HOUSEWIVES EXHIBIT

The very successful Housewives Exhibit" of Birmingham made products held last year under the auspices of the League of Women Voters, with cooperation of Birmingham manufacturers, is to be repeated under the same management this year from April + to 21. The only flaw in last years exhibit was the space limitation, which prevented many manufacturers from placing booths. In spite of very dreary weather during the week Of the exhibit the quarters were crowded day and night by the housewives and household CTS of Birmingham, who seemed pleased to discover how many excellent articles of household use are manufactured here.
 It was evidence to the local manufacturer that there is appreciation of his product at home if it is a meritorious one and is sui ficiently brought to attention of the house. holder. The manufacturers wno exhibited last year expressed unalloyed satisfaction over the results and this is already proved by the interest they are taking in this years ex- hibit. Again, owing to absence of any large public building suitable for the pur- pose, the exhibition will be held in local business establishment. If the city's audi torium is built large enough and adapted for exposition purposes real Housewives Exhibit" adequately presenting all the man ufactures of the district, may be staged yearly on large scale. Even as it was last year and this most interesting exposition of locally-made goods is feasible. It stands to reason that the interest will continve and increase.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01

he says, delayed his return to America until after the time-limit of six months fixed by the immigration law, had expired, and he could not read the forty words re- quired in the literacy test. His wife and sons were permitted to re-enter the country, but Tony was detained at Ellis Island by immigration officials and an appeal was sent to Secretary of Labor Davis, who was him self steel worker and came to the United States as young immigrant.
 By this time Tony has probably escaped from official red tape and rejoined his family at Youngstown, but his cause again illustrates the curious working of a law primarily designed to keep undesirables out of America. But for the fact that he can neither read nor write, Tony Bovo is of the type of thrifty, industrious foreigners Amer ica wants. That he never had an education is no fault of his own. That he sought to spare his boys the handicap under which he labored shows the spirit of good father and a good citizen.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
ACCURATE INDEX OF PROGRESS

r Birmingham bank clearings showed an
 increase of sixty-nine per cent. over the E. same period last year during the week of 'sa February 22, and, in doing so, led the coun- 2. try. Los Angeles was next with forty-eight lss per cent. Birmnghams nearest competitor { in the south was Nashville with an increase . of thirty-four per cent. Birmingham bank : clearings are an accurate reflex of chang ss ing financial conditions, because they are 7 based on the same reporting banks and the same method of calculation, the same
 elements entering into the clearings this
 year as last. They also bear the stamp of
 authenticity because they correspond with E other ascertained data in the commercial
 and industrial world. Our coal production this year has been running sixty per cent.
 ahead of last year. Our iron production IS on the same basis. Steel production is fully
 sixty per cent. ahead of this time last year.
 Leading department stores reported as high as sixty per cent. increase in business ir January.
 s In all departments of activity Birmingham has been alongside the leaders and has made some of the top records. An instance of
 this was offered by the Tennessee company,
 whch made eleven new production records
 in January in various iron, steel, coal and coke departments. The district led others .1of the country in 1921 in its percentage of
 steel mill production and one of it's steel
 producers was first to return to black ink
 in it's quarterly report in 1922. Almost
 every industry is now at 100 per cent.
 pace and there is prosperity for every one
 who is attending to business There is a commendable spirit of caution with regard
 to price advances and legitimate fear of E knocking down pretty fabric of good times by allowing runaway markets. It would be < well for that spirit to have prolonged life.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
MADNESS
Washington Starl

There is a frenzy that prompts some men-and women-to do wild
 and unreasonable stunts" and which draws crowds 70 look on with the expectation of seeing man die.
 Take as an example tae bit of news from far-off Montevideo that "an automobile race between three cars in which the drivers were blind folded resulted disastrously when one of the drivers swerved from his course and plunged into crowd of spectators, seriously inJuring twelve of them" It is said that the race was to test the capacity of the drivers for "orientation." Each driver carried woman passenger, who was Ito warn Aim in case he lost his bearings" All this was madness, and men and women whose minds are correctly ''oriented" will say it was madness of a silly kind. Still, one need not look as far as Montevideo for accounts of reck- less and senseless stunts" We have them in our own United States.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
CHICAGO CHANGES MAYORS

< William Hale Thompson has been mayor ssof Chicago for so long, and appeared so : secure in his political power that it was for p time regarded almost impossible to defeat him. Last year, however, the beginnings of "a break in his control noted when cer- Atain candidates known to be favored by seshim were defeated for judgeships and ether
 pivotal offices Since that time the dis seintegration of his authority has rapidly pro- gressed until the recent elections when a Scoalition candidate, Arthur c. Luder, re- sceived the majority of votes Coalition scandidates have tried before and have failed ssto win, because the Thompson position was ssSinipregnable. The Chicago mayor is remem- :. @sbered by many because of his discourtcsy
 sto Marshal Joffre and other visiting dign- yStaries His meeting with Clemenceau was lrsso perfunctory as to have been negible in Fits modifying effect. It is debatable if 2 Thompson ever received the cordial sup 9port of a majority of Chcagoans, and per sehaps owes his long tenure of office partly lsbeen men of doubtful, or at least of un- .sgtcsted, ability Under his administration 'sssChicago has witnessed magnificent period mof civic improvement, but it is as easy to Say that it was in spite of it's government Is,as because of it. A great city cannot be lshalted in it's growth by any minor impedi-
 -sment, and, like a mighty stream, is likely
 sto carry with it all objects upon its surface or within it's volume.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
A Timely Editorial
The New Minority Leader


 From the vantage point of an "of- ficial observer" as ald to Senator Underwood of Alabama, Senator Robinson of Arkansas has had an opportunity to familiarize himself with the duties that will devolve upon him after March 4, when he becomes titular leader of the mil nority party in the senate. That he has observed keenly and stu diously many be admitted. He is alert and resourceful, and is regard ed as an expert in parliamentary usage. One wonders just what the change portends. The office is an important one. fraught with respon- sibility, rich in opportunity. It is no mere empty honor which has been bestowed. The opposition is not al- ways impotent, any more than it is always wrong. Not infrequently does it represent but slightly less when half the electoral strength of the country, and it is largely through its leader in the senate that it's voice is audible.
 Senator Robinson is a partisan, of course. Were he not he could scarcely aspire to the dignity of so important leadership. He is ag- gressive and alert. Otherwise he would have been regarded as unfit. But there is reason to believe that he possesses constructive aggres- siveness; that he will not be inclin- ed forever to oppose for the mere purpose of opposing. It is not cas- fly conceivable that minority par ty, simply because it is such, should habitually align itself in opposition to the admittedly constructive poli- cies of the administration party, or the party represented by majority of the legislators. The most req sonable theory is that any political party can in some measure advance it's own cause ana strengthen its own lines by cooperating in the adoption of those measures regard ing which there can, at best, be only unwise division.
 It is true, of course, that the party out of power seeks to profit by the nllsIaKes or biunuers 0f the party in power. That is part of the game of politics. But the people of the United States are not engag- ed in mere pastime at the moment. There are bigger and more import ant things to be considered than the somewhat amusing game of political tag. Many traditions have been forgotten in recent years. There are many more which might wisely be lost sight of. MT. Robinson is bound by as many or as few of these as he may choose to admit. His commission includes an un- written order to place SIS party in strategic position for the cam paign of 1924, but the methods to be pursued are not prescribed. The privilege is his to make new al- dances and to disregard present and former entanglements. It will be interesting to observe in what direction his vision leads him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
Peace

GA. M. Low has invented a nonbreakable ciragette ash that will neither fall nor crum- ble.) In weary world of scientific warfare Where inventors fashion instruments of death, , Where they make obnoxious gases that en-
 gulf the helpless masses And destroy them with painful poison
 breath, It is sweet to hear of one inventive genius Who is laboring to set the world at peace; For his triumph of invention will eliminate
 dssenson
 And will cause a world of enmity to cease. There is endless peace and concord in the
 household,
 There is not sign of fierce domestic
 strife And the walls no longer rattle with the
 stirring sounds of battle All is amity between the man and wife. And the husband settles down to smoke in
 comfort
 With q smile of deep contentment on his
 mug; There are no domestic clashes-he has ceas-
 ed to drop the ashes
 Of his flag upon the oriental rug. "Cobbler Takes Up Dentistry; Breaks Boys Jaw" Which demonstrates the truth of the ancient proverb, "Cobbler, stick to thy knitting"
 Personally, we are of opinion that more ink is shaken out of fountain pens than flo ~-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
Strong and Worthy By REV. H. C. OFFERMAN

If you're completely through, start all over again.
 There is no such thing as "giving up" in the vocabulary of a real man.
 Among the millions and millions of human beings on earth today, how few real men and real women
 And yet, your Character is en- tirely in your own hands.
 You can make yourself a weak character, or very strong charac- ter.
 Master yourself and master the world.
 If you live right, you'll die right; and if you die right, you'll live right imnlortally,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
LORD CECIL ON COURT PLAN

LORD CECIL ON COURI PLAN
 The attitude of friendly patience toward the United States on the part of members of the League of Nations is again illus trated by Lord Robert Cecil's comments upon President Harding's expressed desire for this country to participate in that body of the leagues creation, the paramount court of international justice. Lord Rob- ert states that he sees no reason why MT. Hughes reservations, as he calls them, should not be accepted. And it cannot be doubted that the league, on which he is one of the recognized authorities, would well come the United States as member of this court In fact, it would seem that all along, through all the months of waiting and un- certainty on this side, there has been a rather confident feeling on the other side that the Washington administration would some day make up it's mind to seek to CO., operate in the matters of world justice. So confident, indeed, appears to have been that feeling that place in this tribunal has been reserved for us, whenever we should be dis posed officially to occupy it, the check re- serving such place having some time ago been placed in the hands of one of our leading jurists, Mir. John Barrett Moore, who sits on this tribunal. All that is required now, it would seem, is for the United States of ficially to receive this seat-check.
 MT. Hughes reservations do not appear to worry Lord Robert, for he says that the proposals seem to include full responsibii- ties through sharing the expenses of the court. There seems not the slightest doubt that. this country can participate in the court if it decides to do so. Whether it will so decide is in the hands of congress, and action on this question will not be taken until next session. There are grounds for criticising the lateness with which the proposal was submitted to congress. This delay and not congress has defeated the plan for the present.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01

The senate did not pass the merchant ma rine bill, and offered no substitute. There fore, it appears that the president and the shipping board will seek some other way out of trying situation. Congress is debat- ing team, and debating teams never decide they merely debate.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
PLANT A TREE

#Ss.s The American Tree Association of Wash E sipgton, D. C., hopes to have million mem- r bers. To become member it is necessary 1sto plant a tree. No money is required. It is a movement different .from most others Dz that the initiation fee represents achieve
 mt. With million trees planted in 1923
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-01
CONSOLIDATING RAILROADS

The Interstate Commerce Commissions hearings on the proposed plans to consoli- date the great railroad systems of the coun- try into more effective groups have brought forth much testimony of sort calculated to shake the decision to effect the consolida- tions as proposed rather than to confirm that decision. That the plan is not above