The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-06

Inc question or municipal ownership Of Birmingham water works will again be taken up and fight made to either pur- chase the present plant or for the city to erect a plant of it's own. At the meet ing of the Board of Trade yesterday after noon resolution to this effect was intro- duced and unanimously passed. It called for committee of five to cooperate with a similar committee from the mayor and board of aldermen to start some plan by which the water works may be se- cured in the near future
 The committee consists of J. H. MeCary, G. Rotholz, Simon Klotz Sbley King and MT. Creery. The resolution is as follows: ried by the policy holders amounts today to more than one hundred million dollars and that the losses paid out during the last year was $1,6OO,0OO. Also that the total amount of death claims paid out since the organization of the Endowment rank in 1878 amounts to between eigh- teen and twenty million dollars. Just think of these stupendous figures. Take all of our real estate in the city of Bir- mingham, the largest and richest city in Alabama, include all our corporate limits, our corner lots that are now selling for from one to two thousand dollars per front foot, and the grand sum and total of all of our real estate will not exceed in value the amount that the Endowment rank of your order has paid out on death claims since its organization in 1878.
 T do not know that all these good stories have heard regarding your ini- tiation are true, but am willing to risk the initiation fee just to find out.
 We are glad to have you meet with us here today for such orders as the Knights of Pythias demonstrate the fact that secret orders properly lived up to not only make us better men. better citizens. but better members of the order you so ably represent.
 ''In behalf of the local lodges of this city and county and as the chief exec utive of this city, I extend to you our most cordial greetings"
 Hume F. Jones Speaks.
 At the conclusion of Mayor Drennen's remarks, Hume F. Jones was introduced by Mir. Smith and welcomed the visitors on behalf of the local lodges.
 To both of these addresses of welcome Grand Chancellor James B. Ellis respond ed. after being introduced by MT. Smith, who referred to him in the highest of complimentary terms.
 The address of the grand chancellor was short, but he voiced the sentiment of the grand lodge in thanking the pre- ceding speakers for their hearty words of welcome and the hospitality that had been extended.
 Grand Chancellor Ellis then called the grand lodge to order in executive ses- sion and only those who had already taken the grand lodge degree were al- lowed to remain in the hall.
 The first matter taken up was in re- gard to credentials of representatives and past chancellors This work required over an hour The grand lodge degree was conferred upon class composed of over one hundred.
 Reports Submitted.
 The next order of business was the sub hitting of reports by grand lodge officers. First the report of Walter C. Black, who was grand chancellor for five months dur ing the present term of the lodge, was read by the grand chancellor. In this re- port MT. Black stated that he had been compelled to resign on account of i'll health and removal to Florida.
 The grand chancellor then submitted his report beginning with November and ending yesterday. The report was an ex- cellent one and showed the order in Ala bama to be in a progressive state. It showed a large increase In membership and many new lodges, also that the grand chancellor had made an efficient and energetic official.
 G. c. Miles. grand keeper of records and seals. then rendered his report. which showed that all of the TIT lodges in the state were in a hourishing condition.