The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-21
REPORT OF SECRETARY.
MT. oilbert's Paper Received With
 Applause.


 MT. oilbert's Paper Received With Applause.
 MT. L. l.. Gilbert, Secretary of the
 Association, then read his annual re- port which was given the closest at- tention and was frequently applauded. The delegates appeared to be particu- larly pleased with his reference 70 | franchises.
 The complete report of the Secretary
 Is as follows:
 Montgomery, Ala, June 20, 1901. MT. President and Gentlemen-At our l meeting last year the machinery of a new constitution was installed provid ing for standing committees upon Ad- vertising. Agriculture, Good Roads, Immigration, Legislation, Manufactur- ing, Mining and Schools to work upon
 these various lines between sessions. | reporting the result of their efforts in detail to the Association at its annual
 meeting. Owing to unavoidable delays in the selection and appointment ot ! these committees, the machinery was late in getting started, so that a fair idea cannot be had at this time of its capacity for work and usefulness Jn another years experience, I am confi- dent we shall all see valuable results. Your Secretary has at different times during the year called the attention Of the various clubs represented in our membership to the importance of talk ing action upon the following subjects
 Of providing for an Alabama exhibit at the Buffalo Exposition; of increas- ing the appropriation made for extcnd- ing the hydrc~raphic work Of the l'ni- ted States Geological Survey In Ala
 bama; favoring the establishment by Congress of 2 National Park and For est Reserve in the Appalachian Ieange; of providing for an Alabama exhibit at the Charleston Exposition; and lastly for raising a fund with which to r.ur- chase a silver service for the battleship Alabama.
 Through the instrumentality Q; this Association, a joint resolution was passed by the legislature and a com mission appointed by the Governor to take charge of the same. Much of the money has been secured and formal report will doubtless be made upon this matter by one of the members of the Commission.
 A year ago this Association actively took up the question of Rice Culture" in Alabama. A most valuable paper was read upon the subject by Mir. C. c. Henderson of Greenville, which has been widely circulated and created much interest. There is no good req son why Alabama should not raise and market another cash crop, as her sis- ter States. Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina are doing. We hoped that MT. S. L. Cary of Jennings, La, from the heart of the rice growing sec- tion. would be here to address you upon this subject. but telegram received yesterday from him in Iowa, advised us of its unavoidable detention there.
 New Bodies Organized.
 Among the commercial bodies orga- nized throughout the State since our last meeting may be mentioned, the Commercial Club of Tuscaloosa, the Commercial Club of Prattville, the In dustrial Club of Greenville. the Com mercial and Industrial Club of Brew ton. the Development and Industrial, Club of Alexander City, and busi- ness organization of tome character in Bessemer
 While the State Association has been somewhat instrumental in the organi- zation of these clubs. Tuscaloosa is the only one which has shown sufficient en- terprise to formally identify itself with this organization. Neither of the com mercial bodies of Birmingham have joined the State organization, though I believe both will do so this year.
 Your Secretary has endeavored to stir up an interest in the formation Of business organization of some char acter in Selma. Opelika, Ann'ston and other places, but so far without sue cess. The effort should and will be continued until all are provided with some business body for organized work Only in this way can our cities hope to keep abreast of the times. and to push Alabama into the same relative position among the States of the Union industrially. that she now occupies al- phabetically.
 One subject to which this Associa- ton should address itself, is the study of municipal government and civic growth In Europe, cities trace their origin back to times coeval with the beginning of history. In America. cities are the Veritable product of magic, springing into power and greatness in two generations. Soon our American cities realize they must consider the problems of growth and expanded in- terests, and settle upon lines believed to be scientific and progressive. In the East there exists a strong senti' rnent calling for orderly and effective methods. and demanding that the best that science can devise in the way of principles of government and growth be understood and tested In the South we are just groping blindly after the light and it would seem to be well with in the province of the business body of each city to foster an interest in the best methods of successfully conduct ing the business of that city. European Boards of Trade are closely identified with the municipal life of their com munities and wield powerful 'nflu- ence therein. For instance the Berlin Chamber of Commerce claims much credit for the fact that that city is ad- ministered at an expense about equal to the annual interest on the debt of New York City.-and the Board of Trade of Birmingham had much to do in reducing the annual budget of that city to little less than one-fourth of that Of Boston. Tn fact. the great evolution of municipal administration during the last thirty years, which has placed city affairs upon a strictly business basis. is also largely due to the influence of boards of trade. They see to it that when great municipal problems pertaining to new franchises, parks charters. taxation. etc. are un- der discussion,-all the available light shed by the experience of other cities shall be utiiized.-an the time must be taken not only to hear from, but to carefully consider all that experts can say.