Birmingham age-herald., 1895-01-30
BOOKS THROWN OPEN
For Popular Subscription to a
 Cotton Mill.
RESULT OF AMASS MEETING
Held Under Auspices of the Commercial Club-Resolu-
 tions Offered and Adopted.

The mass meeting of citizens called by the Commercial club was held yesterday afternoon, with about forty of Birming- hams business men in attendance.
 President B. F. Moore called the meet ing to order and stated it's object in q brief manner. Mir. R. r. Johnston of the News, in the absence of Secretary Tn omp- son, acted as secretary.
 President Moore called on Mir. Conner, who is at the head of the enterprise for which the meeting was called for discuss sion, to lay the plans before the meeting, which he did.
 MT. Comer's principal argument was that if Birmingham ever got cotton mill the people of this city would have to build 1t, for no eastern people were coming here to put up mills unless it was first clearly and practically demonstrated to them that mills could be successfully run in this particular locality. He stated as he has a half dozen times, that he and his friends were ready to head an enterprise with capital to the extent of S20,0 ,0O0.
 As an illustration of how mills could be made to pay splendid dividends he told of what the mills at Eufaula had paid and how they were built. They were put up there, he said, by the people, who were 
 the success of such enterprises. His argu- ment was that if the citizens here would act concertedly mill could be built, and that in a short time. He said the little mill at Tallsdega was paying 5000 per month on the investment, and there was more money in southern cotton mills than in any other kind of enterprise.
 la speaking of the idle capital in Br- mingham he made the statement that there were s2,000,00O on deposit in the local lbauks.
 His idea was to build yarn mill. which can be run at less expense than any other, and yentured the assertion that such plant would be worth as much locally as steel mill. ?
 Incidentally he spoke of how Atlanta had accom- plished such wonders, and said it had all been done with concerted action of the citizens. His agreement to put S20, ,0C0 was predicated by the citizens doing their duty, which term he defined as meaning subscription of S100, GOO.
 Dr. T. A. Merrill addressed the chair and favored a popular subscription, be- lieving this the only feasible plan con- ditioned by existing circumstances.
 MT. Sig Steiner thought it was impos sibe to raise capital enough locally to build mill, but favored the subscription plan, to be supplemented by eastern money.
 MT. Richard Francis Johnston, repre- senting the young men of the city, toli of numerous schemes which many had gone into during the past and from which they had come out with only experience. He thought if the mill was built by home cap- ital and run by local men that the young men of the city would subscribe iiberaly.
 Mir. O'Byrne favored the building of 3 mill with not less than 10,000 spindles, and was under the impression such could be done at cost not exceeding S100, ,000.
 Here President Moore put a motion to appoint committee of five to get up the necessary subscription to build the mill. The motion was carried and Mir. Conner announced as chairman, the remaining four to be appointed later.
 MT. H. H. Sinnige spoke in favor of what had been done, and assured the meet ing he would lend his support toward the enterprise.
 MT. Richard Randolph here addressed the chair, and offered any company that would construct a mill a site on nearly any railroad entering the city free of charge. He received considerable applause.
 Mir. Thompson, chairman of the com nittee on location, stated that numerous offers for sites had been received.
 On motion the list of subscriptions was started, which now stands:
 B. B. Conner and friends ...............S2 S2O, ,ooo Steiner Bros. and associates. ......... 5000 Nabers, Morrow & Sinnige. ........... ,5oo Estes Stove company y....-............., 500
 The following resolution, offered by MT. Sigfried Steiner, was unanimously adopted:
 Birmingham is in position, owing to it's cheap fuel, It's abundant and efficient labor and it's location, to become the great manufacturing center of the south, but to maintain it's natural superiority 1t must have the lowest rates of freight accorded to cities of it's size and importance, and to in- sure such rates 1t is absolutely nee. 8 iary that the great trunk lines entering our city shall be competitors for the business orig mating here, and recognizing these potent facts we, the citizens of Birmingham, in mass meeting assembled, hereby express our disapproval and earnest protest against the proposed action of the legislature by which one great monopoly of railroads is to be permitted to absorb and control another great trunk line, upon the Independence of which our prosperity depends; therefore be 1t
 Resolved by this meeting of citizens, That the act now before the legislature by which the Southern railway is to be per- mitted to acquire the control of and prac. tically absoro the Alabama Great Southern railroad is highly detrimental to the inter- ests of Birmingham and the surrounding country, deprives us oi great competing g line and is calculated to chill the ardor of those patriotic citizens who look to the re- mobilization of our beloved city by the es- tablishment of manufactures in our midst and we earnestly urge and request our sem ator and represe natives to oppose said bill and, if possible, secure it's defeat.
 And should said bill be passed by both houses of the legislature, we earnestly and respectfully ask our governor to withhold his approval from bill so injurious to the interests of this section and without com pensatingN advantages to any other part of the state.
 On motion of Mir. Richard F. Johnston of the Daily News. Hon. Frank P. O. Brien and others, who>worked so faithfully against the scheme Aof the Southern rail. way to secure the Alabama Great Southern were voted the thsnht of the citizens In mass meeting assembfed
 The meeting then Sadjo.-nsd. TURNED THE DOGS LOOSE.