The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-25
Committee Will Urge a
 Reduction. WILL VISIT ATLANTA Semi-Annual Meeting of Com
 mercial Association. Secretary Gilbert Points to Matters for the Improvement of Mont gomery ari Committees Make / Interesting Reports.

l At the semi-annual meeting of the Com- mercial and Industrial Association, held last night, 1t was unanimously decided by about forty prominent business ana professional men present to push active ly before the Executive Committee of the
 claims of Montgomery for lower fire
 Te this end. President Alex Rice of point a special committee of five mem- bers to act jointly with the Association's | Insurance Committee, and if possible business men in Atlanta at the next | meeting of the Executive Committee. | Five new directors were elected for a | year at the meeting last, night, and one
 director was elected to serve six months. to fill the uneXpired term caused by the | resignation of William Berney. The five
 & Coleman. % J. M. I Faikner. ~ e A Thomas. | N. Lobman. w. M Teague was elected | to serve during the unexpired term. Secretary Wilson Not Coming.
 The meeting was called to order by
 reading and approval of the minutes of the last meeting, Secretary L. l.. Gilbert reported that Secretary of Agriculture visit Montgomery while South on his Texas tour had been compelled to de- cline the invitation on account of the | trip. | A party of members of the American
 Historical Association. which wil meet
 of December and who were expected to visit Montgomery en route to that city. | the Secretary reported. had advsied him
 party would be unable to stop over in | Montgomery.
 Phares Coleman of the Committee from
 rooms for the Association. reported that | on account of unavoidable delays in se-
 curing material for the .raao~atlng work
 to be done. the Association would be up- able to move into It's new quarters In the former home of the Standard Club before the last of December. Mir Cole
 man said, however, that when the Asso- citation did move into the new quarters, | the members would be amply repaid for their wait. He drew a happy picture of
 the comforts of the new quarters in
 comparison with the roomss now coupled | by the Association. He said that the truth would not be violated when he said that the new quarters would be second
 Report of the Secretary
 Secretary L. L. Gilbert Submitted his semi-annual report, in which he dwelt Orleans as delegate to the Four States Immigration League
 Continuing his report. Secretary Gilbert About ten days ago your Secretary was requested to go to Selma to assist in or- ganizing commercial body there. They ueSlEeu they 5dlu to pan tnSlr OfRdnlZa- ton after what they considered the best organization in the State. They have had | two organizations there heretofore which have proven unsuccessful for various and sundry reasons. For over an hour in the middle of busy day, about fifteen mer- | chants, bankers manufacturers and real estate men stopped their business to in- quire into the methods at work In our organization They were desperately in earnest and in that earnestness set a splendid example for this organization,
 whose plan they were following. They have started out with the determination of having no drones, but stipulating that | every member must agree to do what he
 is told to do and do 1t quickly.
 Tt occurred to me that it would be
 good idea If We could secure the cooper
 ation of this aggressive body in a joint endeavor to secure such appropriations
 for the Alabama river as will guarantee in the year. Large sums are being re- quested for other rivers in Alabama
 whereas but small appropriation com
 paratiyeiy would be necessary to take care of the Alabama in a proper way. T believe that the Industrial Associa-
 ton at Selma. as well as the Commercial Club and Chamber of Commerce at Mo
 bile would assist in this movement and
 would suggest that by formal resolution
 this matter be referred to the Committee
 on State Development for their investiga- tion and action.
 To Divert Trade Here.
 "Attention is called to the fact that there Is a rich territory west of Selma | which used to be tributary to the trade
 of Montgomery, which is now entirely controlled by Birmingham. The Southern Railroad which controls the Akron branch
 running from Selma through Marion and
 Greensboro to Akron on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad is at present | running a through train which carries
 this trade into Birmingham. If a proper | effort was made. 1t is possible that the
 Association might induce the Western Railway of Alabama to so arrange
 schedule as would enable residents of
 that section to come to Montgomery on a
 through connection at Selma and do their
 trading as in years gone by. We have
 everything to gain and nothing to lose by the effort and I would suggest that
 the Transportation Committee be request
 ed to investigate this matter and see what can be done.
 ''The Association had the privilege and pleasure of entertaining last week one hundred members of the Louisville Board of Trade who came South in a special