The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-06
Forum of The People
Advises A Cash Basis

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
| am still interested in Birmingham and
jefferson county. My property is there, and
/ vote there. / have seen the city at times
when people went wild over real estate spec
ulations. 1t has gone through eras Of pros
perity and adversely. Cholera in 1873 came
very near wiping out the town. Not Tor
twelve years thereafter was there much life
in the old town. In 1886 came the great real
estate boom which, from financial stand
point, was as disastrous as the cholera cpl
iemic in 1873. Birmingham, like all cities,
has been built on credit. 1t has come close
to bankruptcy several times. Am not quite
sure but il seems to me that a committee
of citizens, headed by Mr.. Ramsay. made an
Investigation not SO long ago and reported
that Jefferson county was not very solvent:
/ read about bonds new issue for this,
that and everything that comes up. If un-
derstand it, there is to be an election for
the people to vote on the issuance of $4,000
600 for school purposes. Then. it is proposed
to issue bonds and build a courthouse. Last
to issue bonds to build, another charity hos
pital, To my friends would say vote
against any more bond issues until there is
greater necessity than there appears to be at
the present time" 1t looks as if our officials
have bond mania" or are money-mad.
The city and county, or the citizens, are pros
porous. More so than ever before, but
would say in the language Of my departed
friend, Mr.. Ben RIDDEN, Every few can stand
prosperity" Rainy days follow dry spells;
dry spells follow wet weather. Keep on a
cash basis if possible, or as near as possible.
As to building a new courthouse and jail
would say that both are imperative necessi-
ties The county has purchased the best site
in the entire city for the purpose But why
should the county issue bonds for building
when the old courthouse property can be sold
for enough to build first-class building to
serve for courthouse and jaA21 i am afraid
our members of the board OF revenue have got
the real estate speculative fever. If. SO, let
me tell them that in my opinion real estate
in Birmingham is selling for twice as much
As it is worth, and there is more likelihood
of "a heavy decline than Tany further ad-
vance, might say the same to our city
commissioners in regard to selling the city
hall, property and building a new. fireproof
building before fire destroys the valuable rec
ords stored in that fire trap.
Now, as to moving the county hospital
from its present site, AveBue F and Twen-
tieth street, am surprised that such pr6po-
sition should receive one moments attention.
About one dozen of Birmiugham's noblest
women banded themselves together nearly
forty years ago to establish g. charity hos
pital. 1t was begging proposition for a
Humber of years, but they succeeded in a
small way and after years Of labor raised
of the Hillman Hospital. gave literally
of my time and money in aiding the ladies.
1 was on their advisory board" and knew
better than almost any ether man of the
struggle and sacrifices the ladies made to meet
running expenses. saw that it was too
great an undertaking for the ladies to con-
tinue. With larger building meant more
patients by reason of having more room
this meant more expenses. Sol submitted to
General Rufus N. Rhodes thetidea of getting
the county; to take over the hospital. He
agreed with me and we took it up with the
board of revenue. Finally we got the board
to agree provided the ladies would deed the
property to the county. This was done with
provision in the deed that il at any time
the property shall be used for other purposes
than charity hospital it should revert to
the grantors
After the county acquired the property
from the ladies the county acquired by pur-
chase the south half of the block, thus giving
all the room that is necessary now and for
many years to come for new and additional
buildings. The advantage of having the hos
pital centrally located is too plain to admit
of discussion. i. b. MOTION.
Fairhope, Ala, April ?, 1924