Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-07
B|RM|NGHAM'S BULWARK Regular Meeting of the Com-
 merciaI Club. REPORT ON RETAIL TRADE Shows Progress Toward Solution of the Prob lem-PreSident Rhodes on Organized
 Labor-As to Immigration.

ternoon.
 On calling the meeting to order Presi-
 dent Rhodes pointed to a pile of hose and half hose on the table, which he said was
 the product of the hosiery recently estab
 lished on First avenue.
 MT. John w. Tomlinson was requested by the president to preside over the meet ing.
 The retail trade committee submitted the following report:
 To the Commercial Club: The retail trade committee begs to state that they have held two sessions since the last meeting of the club, and consid- cred such matters relating to the retail trade of the city as came before It. In the matter of the special committee ap- pointed by the club to consider that DOT ton of this committees former report relating to commissaries, it is continued until the next meeting of the club. The companies issuing checks in connection with their commiSSarieS in this city ana adjacent thereto, have given orders against the transfer of such checks, and 1t is the opinion of this committee that If said order is enforced in good faith, much of the satisfaction and complaint arls- ing from the retail merchants of the city will be corrected and removed, and If that | condition can be accomplished by the companies themselves, 1t will remove the matter from the province of this commit tee and they can dismiss 1t from any further consideration, which your com mittee prefers should be the case. Re- spectfully submitted
 w. R. SAWYER, Chairman. The report was adopted. The committee appointed to confer
 with the committee from the Trades
 council submitted the following;
 To the Commercial Club
 The committee to whom was referred
 the matter presented by the delegation
 from the Trades council to the Commer-
 cial club at its last meeting beg to submit
 the following as their report
 As understood by this committee the
 Commercial club was requested by that delegation to recommend to all employers
 of labor in this city that they recognize
 organized labor, giving it at all times the
 preference While this request carries
 with it compliment which is duly ap-
 preciated, still It Is not intended to ln-
 yoke the influence of the club in favor ot
 one class of citizens as against another,
 which your committee is of opinion is
 entirely beyond the province of the club
 to do.
 The Commercial club invites braWn
 and muscle, as well as brains and capital,
 to come to Birmingham and aid in its
 development. It appreciates the fact
 that the former is as essential factor in
 
 this invitation is extended to all worthy
 persons, without regard to creed or poli- ties so likewise it should maintain the
 same impartial relationship between all
 classes who are seeking to earn an hon.
 est living among us.
 The province of the club is to promote industry and serve as an unbiased and unfettered medium through which standard of public sentiment can be
 erected and directed that will be recog- nized as an impartial arbiter by all classes in matters affecting the commercial well fare of the city, and this can only be ac- complshed by such a policy as will ren- der 1t just as efficient to assist labor when requested or public interest might demand. It should never hinder any one even in the slightest degree from earn ing an honest living for himself or fam ily, much less should it lend it's influence to interfere with any one in conducting their private affairs, as guaranteed by the laws of the land and as their interests or judgment may dictate. It is in these lines, and these alone, that the club can be in position to assist any class when occasion might demand it, as we'll as enable it to command the confidence and respect of the people
 whose interests it seeks to promote. Re- spectfully submitted,
 J. A. vANHoOSE. J. MORGAN SMITH, Committee. MT Rhodes thought the report very dangerous thing to adopt. The club, he said, was made the medium for two sides, | labor and capital. He believed organ iZed or union labor was the best, most
 sober and most expert, and he believed | In organization of labor He thought the | Trades council made a blunder when it gave permission for laundry workers to | organize, as the labor in laundries Is not expert He deprecated extremes in any xx,lQ other l. | cations. In this community, he said, organized labor is the backbone of the | community. In his eight years eXperi- ence running newspaper in this city, he said, he had considerable experience | with organized labor and sometimes he | had almost parted with them but on | consultation and conference with the men | matters had been amicably settled. He moved reference of the resolu- | tions to a special committee of five. MT Johnston withdrew his resolution for the adoption of the report. N~ Rhodes motion to discharge the old committe was lost by vote of 10 to 6.
 Maj r. Y. Anderson moved that the special committee consist of eight 1lem- bers and that the old committee be added to it. Carried.
 The following report was submitted by the immigration committee: TO the Commercial Club: Your committee on immigration. in- formation, advertising and statistics at it's last regular session, among other matters considered and acted upon, passed the following resolution. which is referred to the club for approval: Resolved, That the increased prosper ity of the agricultural classes of Ala bama, and the great interest manifested by the farmers of the northwest in this section warrants this state through it's agricultural department in taking more lively interest in the matter of immgra tion to Alabama than it has hitherto done
 Resolved, That this committee requests the Commercial club to inquire of the state auditor what funds there are to the credit of the agricultural department of | Alabama.
 Resolved That this committee requests