The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-20
HEAR
JEROME TUCKER
ON BIRMINGHAM
Starke Boosts Convention
Of Real Estate Boards
In Washington

Never before in the history of the
Birmingham Real Estate board has
enthusiasm run so high as is the case
this year in regard to attending the
annual convention of the National AS
ISOLATION of Real Estate Boards to be
held in Washington June 3 to g. said
Executive Secretary Starke Saturday.
More tnan $4,000 has been sub
scribed with the intention of leaving
Birmingham for Washington on a spe
cial train equipped with sleeping cars
and diner and carrying on the rear of
the observation car an electric sign
bearing the words Birmingham RealtOr
Special on which doubtless there will
be real estate men from other sections
of the state as we'll as the Boys band
of the Industrial school at East Lake
Jeter Selected
He also added that it is intended
this year to enter Malcolm C.. Jeter of
this city in the five-minute hometown
speakers contest to be held at Wash
ington in which 20 boards from over
the country will vie with each other
to capture the handsome silver trophy
cup given by the Chicago Real Estate
board and won last year by the city
of Oakland, Cal.
Thursday, at the meeting of the Biz
mingham board, an elimination speak
ers' contest was held and Malcolm &.
Jeter, salesman for the Nelson Real
Estate and Investment company, was
declared by five judges the winner of
the honor Of speaking as Birmingham S
champion for the prize at Washington.
The other speakers all paid high trib-
ute to Birmingham. and the judges had
their troubles in deciding to give the
first place to Mr.. Jeter and the second
place to f. NJ. Elliott. Mr.. Starke
explained that the contest involved
more than the determination merely of
the best speech, and that it was up
to the judges to combine speech and
speaker in choosing Birmingham's best
bet in the premises.
Besides the two speakers mentioned
above, Jerome Tucker, john Dearborn.
A. A. Gambill and Mark HodO spoke,
each adding his contribution to the
brilliant array of facts about this
Magic City" and predictions as to its
future.
1T might be unwise," remarked Mr..
Starke, ITO publish Mr.. Jeter's win
Washington but no harm can come
of giving to the public at least the
tribute paid to Birmingham by jerome
Tucker in this preliminary contest"
In fact. the practical suggestion has
been made that the strongest points
might we'll be taken from each of the
speeches and composite speech of the
most convincing character thus pro-
duced for presentation at the nation
al contest. Mr.. fuckers praise of Bir-
mingham was as follows:
II come, like Saul of Tarsus, as a
citizen of no mean city, but unlike
Saul, cannot claim it as my birth
place, for the good reason that l was
more than ten years old, when the
first streets of my city were laid out
Lying in a lovely valley, trimmed
by hills and low mountain ranges, its
topography lends itself to layout
that has evoked the admiration of pro-
fessional city planners. Wide streets,
portation facilities and economical
climb to four-hundred foot elevations at
surpassed scenic opportunities for home
sites.
From the top of this mountain. in
which lies the potentialities of wealth
beyond the dreams of avarice. we'll
informed realtor can point out numer-
Gus furnace stacks. while nearby lie
just below the surface all the con-
stituent elements of iron-making which
can be brought to these furnaces Ivy
gravity-a mineral situation found no
where else in the known world.
Birmingham fixes the price of pig
iron and iron pipe for the world. Bir.
mingham makes steel more cheaply than
any other place in the world and in
directly, if not admittedly. fixes the
price of this basic commodity. And all
in less than fifty-five years.
"It has been said that there are but
two or three cities in the world whose
destruction would cause more than
temporary disturbance to the business
activities of the world Even so i'm
pOrtant cities as San Francisco. Gal
weston. Johnston. Yokohama and Toxic
were virtually destroyed. but beyond
the horror and the financial loss. com-
lnerce moved forward with hardly
pause.
But what would happen if Birmng-
hma were destroyed? Its worldwide
commerce is of such basic character
that transportation the world round
would be delayed for want of it's rails
Sky-scra pers. hotels. factories. bridges.
water lines would halt in their construc-
ton until slow REIMBURSEMENT of con-