The age-herald., 1900-08-04
COMMERCIAL CLUB
 REGULAR MEETING Interesting Report of President
 Read and Referred. BACK TAX LAW CONSIDERED Placards of the Club to be Printed and Placed in Hotels and Other Pub
 lie Places-Subscription
 for Industrial School

Birmingham the same recognition as other Southern cities are given in this respect. President Kettig has adopted the plan of sending a card to each member of the board of directors who fails to attend a regular meeting of the club. This resulted in bringing several members to the meet ing yesterday who had not been in the habit of attending regularly.
 The board of directors met at s:30 o'clock in the afternoon and elected the following new members: c. T. Hardman, J. J. Plat ten, William H. Rogers, J. K Broekman and M. Sommers.
 At o'clock the club was called to order and President Kettig read his monthly re- port, which was as follows:
 President Kettig'f.9eport Birmingham, Ala, August 3, 19OO ITO Members of the Commercial Club: This is the midst of the dull season. but we are still having many inquiries from parties desiring to locate in Birmingham We hope in the near future to report more definitely in regard to the location of sev- eral important enterprises in this city Tt is gratifying to note that a new Fair Association has been organized here. All arrangements have been made for holding State Fair this fall in Birmingham. There is every indication of the fair being great success, and it will therefore be of much benefit to this district. The Commercial Club should continue to give the fair it's hearty support.
 'I present for your consideration some papers in regard to the Pan-American Ex- position to be held at Buffalo, N. Y, from May l to November l, 1901. This district should be we'll represented at this eXposi- tion, and 1 recommend that this matter be referred to our committee on statistics and resources.
 'I wish to call your attention to a letter from MT Russell Palmer of Chicago in re- gard to giving lecture in Birmingham, with practical experiments in liquid air A lecture of this kind is of commercial in terest, and I recommend that this matter be referred to our committee on entertain ments, with a view of considering the ad visibility of having the lecture in Bir mingham.
 Tt has come to the attention of many members of the club that the railroads tering Birmingham do not give this city the proper notice in their advertising For in- stance, at the Union Depot in St. Louis there IS d large SlS1l. Sdyl1lS lHlS lIdlll loi Nashville, Montgomery and Mobile. am informed that the railroad signs in Louis- vile, Cincinnati and Washington also fail to mention Birmingham. l suggest that this matter be referred to our Committee on Railroads and Transportation, with in structions to write to all the railroads en- tering Birmingham and request of them that this city be given due prominence in all their advertisements.
 'One of our prominent officers, MT. w. B. Leedy, recently wrote an article on the Back Tax Law The article was published in the Daily News. While the Commercial Club should steer clear of all politics, I think it should interest itself in all matters concerning the public welfare of our citi- zens. There is no matter more important to us than the back tax law. It is admitted by all that this law should at least be amended if not abolished. It behooves every member of this club to take lively interest in the matter. I recommend that the same be referred to our Committee on Legislation, with instructions to investi- gate the matter, and to report to the club such amendments as they think to be ad- yisabe. The amendments ought to be pre- pared and passed upon by the club so as to be ready for the next meeting of the Legislature. strong committee should then be sent to Montgomery to urge their passage through the Legislature.
 w. H. KETTIG, President"
 PIacards to be Printed
 On motion of Sterling A. Wood the ra- port was received and referred to the com- mittees suggested
 T. T. Ashford, chairman of the commit tee on statistics and advertising, stated that his committee recommended that large cards calling attention to the Com mercial Club be printed and hung up in the hotels and other public places for the purpose of letting strangers know that they can go to the club and get any desired information about Birmingham. The re- commendation was concurred in and the cards ordered printed.
 W. J. Cameron of the committee on schools and education, to which was re- ferred the matter of securing reduced rates for persons coming to Birmingham to attend school, recommended that the roads be requested to grant such rates.
 Prof w. J. Wheeler stated that the roads now give cheap rate within a ra- dius of 100 miles to boys and girls under IS years of age, but that he believed IS should not be the limit.
 The secretary was instructed to take the matter up with the railroads.
 The question of alleged freight discrim- nations against Birmingham was referred to the board of directors with power 10 act. The transportation committee which has had the question under consideration for several months was not ready to re- port. When it is ready the report will be be made to the board of directors.
 On motion of Rufus N. Rhodes the pres ident was authorized to appoint a commit tee of seven for the purpose of raising S250 for the Boys Industrial School at East Lake. The club sometime since secured subscriptions to the amount of S,o5o, all but $50 of which has been collected. This amount, 1t was stated, could not be col lected and it was for this reason that the president was instructed to appoint the committee. He will name the committee in day or two.