The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-21
Forum OF The People
Thinks Birmingham Easy To Satisfy

10 the EQltOf OIL 1He ASc-AAcfuiu.
For the past twenty-five years I have
to city with great prospects During this
quarter of a century l have marveled at the
simplicity of Birmingham's wants. What II
is and has is the result of natural growth
and not from push and aggressiveness on the
part of its citizens. If Dallas or Atlanta
| had one-third the natural resources OF DIT
mingham those cities would have half
million population at this time. Birmingham
surrounded by everything to create wealth,
has simply drifted with the tide and not
reached out after the exploiting OF the wealth
that nature has been SO lavish in bestowing
upon the district. Our resources have at
tracted outside capital IN a natural way and
the partial development of the district has
been the result Birmingham should have a
half-million souls within her boundaries.
What is the answer? / am not a direct
defendant of King Solomon, IL a descendant
at all, therefore, am not filled with wisdom.
However, have watched things and ruarveled.
My answer is, Birmingham, proper, is easy
to satisfy. Our baseball team can hang
around the cellar all summer and play a
brand of ball that the corner lots would be
ashamed Of then take squirt in the fall and
win a few games and we puff up with pride
and say we have the best team in the world.
Our street-car service got so rotten the
iitney came to the rescue. Regardless OF the
fact that the service was rotten before the
advent of the jitney, the company claimed
the fault was in the jitney. Birmingham voted
the iitney out and the car company came out
of the receivership-after our city commission
had granted a seven-cent fare in the place OF
five under the franchise-but the service re-
manned lust as rotten as ever and Birming-
ham continues to ride and cuss, but still
they ride.
While in Denver, the past summer, l was
asked what kind of city government we mad
in Birmingham. When told he asked now
it compared with the mayorality form OF gov.
eminent When 1 thought Of that bunch OF
near-politicians whom Birmingham elected to
serve the city, l began to ask about the gold
dome of the state capitol and the subject
changed. In Dallas the subject came up again
and comment was made on padded payrolls,
the shortage and the confessed culprlt being
allowed to 60 to and from the state prison
without guards. The party asking the ques-
ton said that the people of Birmingham must
be easy to please. He bit the nail on the
head. The shortage has run past fifty thou
sand dollars yet you hear no comment on
the subject. The man or men responsible
could be in Africa by this time. The result
will be that Birmingham will continue to piod
on in an easy way until something wakes us
up. The loss of fifty thousand dollars will
be forgotten by the time Harrison allows
the park board to function.
In the mean time Birmingham will con
tinue to grow. 1t just can't help it. Foreign
money is looking for safe investment and
Birmingham offers the opportunity. This
aforesaid foreign money may have to turn
on a fire-alarm to wake the city up, but it is
Dallas-Atlanta spirit mixed up with our ma
tural resources will accomplish wonders.
=. w. H. PARKER.
Birmingham, Ala