The age-herald., 1899-01-07
THE PRESIDENTS
 ANNUAL REPORT hr. Steiner Talks of the Need For a NeW
 Constitution. THE COMMERCIAL INTERESTS Of the State Demand Reform in the
 Organic LaW. WORK OF CLUB IN THE MATTER Subject First Broached in an Address by a Former President-H the
 Bill Failed in the
 First Attempt.
THE COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
WORK OF CLUB IN THE MATTER

At the meeting of the Commercial club held yesterday afternoon President Steiner presented the following report on the movement to secure a constitutional con- vention, giving a full history of the efforts of the Commercial club in that direction: To the Officers and Members of the Com
 mercial Club:
 Gentlemen:-At the beginning of the New Year. l am pleased to be able to congratu- late you upon a number of successful e1- forts during the past year, also upon the general prosperity and growth of the city, and the bright prospects for the future. But 1 am particularly pleased to be able to congratulate you upon the success which has attended the efforts of the Commer- cial club for new constitution for this state.
 The need of reform in our organic law, especially at it concerns the commercial interests of the state, has been apparent for a long time and the subject has been agitating the minds of he people for number of years. A brief sketch of the history of this work, l now beg to submit to the club.
 No active steps were taken in this mat ter until about May, 1895, when MT. Rufus N. Rhodes, then the president of the Com mercial club, first made reference to the need of new constitution in his inaugural address to the club This subject was again taken up by the Commercial club in June, 1895, but no really active steps were taken until the spring of 1896, when by resou- tion adopted by the Commercial club, this matter was brought to the attention of the Commercial and Industrial associa tion of Alabama, at it's meeting held in the city of Montgomery, at which time this resolution of the Commercial club was presented to the commercial bodies of the state for their consideration
 On account of the complications in the po- tnnl anra.lf zF cided that it was not desirable to have this matter then brought prominently before the public, hence no action was taken by the state association at Montgomery. But, sub sequently, the president of the association MT. H. L. Mckee, of Selma called a special meeting of the association which con- vened in the city of Birmingham on Oc- tober ', 1896, in our club rooms and which took action on this matter by referring it 10 committee consisting of Messrs J. A. Rountree, Sigfried Steiner, Erwin Craig mead, James b. Webb and w. w. Campbell, which committee, after a lengthy consulta- tion, reported as follows:
 Your committee appointed to consider and report whether this convention should recommend the calling of a convention in this state to amend the state constitution beg to report follows:
 T. That we have considered the matter referred to us and beg to report that if is advisable and altogether proper for this convention to petition the legislature of the state at its next session to pass a law pro- viding for the holding of such convention
 2 And we, therefore further report for your adoption the accompanying resolu- tion:
 Resolved, by the association of delegates representing the several commercial organ izations in the state, That to meet the de- mands which are pressing for the advance ment of commercial, economical and edu- cational interests, it is our earnest conyic- ton that the constitution of the stare should be amended, and that we petition the next legislature of the state to provide by law for the holding of constitutional convention.
 By invitation of Mir Mckee president of the association, addresses were deliver ed on this subject by MT. Edwin Craig head, of Mobile, the editor of the Mobile Register. and by MT. S. D. Weakey. a prominent attorney of Birmingham, and member of this club These addresses were printed in pamphlet form and dis tributed broadcast over the state. The effect of these two addresses through their clear and forceful presentation of the need of changes in our organic law, was won- derful as matter of education.
 This was followed up by the committee in system of personal correspondence with the leading attorneys over the en- tire state Some 300 letters were received in reply to those sent out, of which some 4S5 unqualifiedly favored and indorsed the idea of a constitutional convention The remainder were more or less committed to 1t.
 In addition to this, system of newspaper inquiry was instituted, and it was ascer- tained that with two or three exceptions all of the leading daily and weekly news papers In the state were in favor of and were committed to the measure
 A committee consisting of MT. H l.. Me Kee, chairman; MT. S. D. Weakley vice .