The age-herald., 1898-11-10
THEY LOOKED WELL AND SAID NOTHING Result of Suburban Conference is a
 Mystery. TWENTY CITIZENS PRESENT Organization Mas Perfected and Re- porter Given His Passports. MIGHT HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS Met to Formulate Policy or Plan to be Pursued in Formal Conference
 With Committe of City
 Council Tonight.
MIGHT HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS

tees opposed to "Greater Birmingham
 came to town yesterday and held some
 thing labeled a conference in the office of
 John s. Kennedy in Second avenue. There were twenty citizens in the meet
 ing, and not unlike the peace commission
 CTS at Paris they closed and bolted the doors. Before this a newspaper reporter
 who had been sent to the meeting, was given his passports
 An open meeting was held until organi- zation was perfected, the only other oc- currence being a suggestion by gentle man that the reporter submit his copy to the body if allowed to remain. When chairman and secretary were selected
 came the final dismissal of the reporter. The conference was called to adopt policy to be pursued at, the formal confer ence tonight with committee of the board of aldermen in the council chamber. A plan might have been adopted. Things
 of moment might have been considered but no one knows. Birmingham's destiny might have been shaped in every conceiva- ble manner and yet it is all a mystery. Their Lips Petrified When the representatives from the fdflouS DTdiCHeS Ol loNSly kindergarten emerged from the "star chamber" they all looked well and their lips might have been petrifed as far as divulging the great things that had taken place between the four walls of MT. Ken
 nedy's office was concerned. They came down the stairway in Indian file. ..ot sound was heard save the heavy thump, thump of twenty solid pairs
 of feet as they moved from step to step.
 A mind reader would have been baffled. There was no way to tell what had hap pened or how it happened. The gentlemen
 might have just emerged from confer ence of state matters; they might have just | forsaken a poker table, or just thrown off the spell of "Seely' dinner. No one said anything of this kind had occurred, but
 one conclusion was as likely to be drawn as another.
 The Open Session Those present at the meeting were the members of the committees which have been appointed by the various towns and communities surrounding Birmingham, which committees are to represent their respective localities in the matter. John s. Kennedy, chairman of the Wood lawn committee, in whose office the com mitteemen met, called the meeting to order A great deal of trouble was had in electing the chairman. Former Governor Rufus w. Cobb, Mayor Ellard, of Avondale, John s. Kennedy, Paul Greene and others were placed in nomination for the chairman ship, but all for one reason another de- clined. Finally DuPont Thompson, of Woodlawn, was selected, and he accepted the position. The same difficulty was ex- perienced in getting secretary, but Gill bert Carter finally consented to serve in that capacity.
 The question was then raised as to whether newspaper reporter who was present, should be allowed to remain dur ing the meeting.
 "Let him stay" said John T. Sugart of East Lake. We against Greater Bir- mingham and we don't care who knows it." The motion was put and the reporter was invited to remain.
 q would like to ask," said Former Gov ernor Cobb, of Woodlawn, "that he report the meeting correctly. The reporter didn't quote me right at the Avondale meeting' 1T move we let him stay, provided he lets us read over his report and fix it to suit ourselves" said MT. Salter, of Elyton
 MT. Burris, of Woodlawn, then clinched
 the matter by moving that as it might be
 best for their plans, whatever might be
 adopted, to keep them secret that the re- porter be excluded.
 Nothing was given out after the meeting as to what was done.
 The Conference Tonight is the time set for the formal
 conference of all the committees concerned in the Greater Birmingham proposition.
 The meeting will be held in the city
 council chamber and committees from all suburban district that have organized, six in all, will meet with the committee of the | board of aldermen.
 | There will likely be a large number of | outsiders present. The purpose of the | meeting is to formulate a plan by which l all citizens of the suburban localities can | be heard.
 | One of the plans suggested is for the | joint committee to have sittings and hear l from people who desire to advance argu- | ments either way.