The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-07
Greater Birmingham Movement
 Before Commercial Club
B. B. COMER IN OPPOSITION
Vigorous Speech In Behalf of Large Industries Near the city-Import- ant Bill to Be Pushed
 Next September.

| NoInHleFelaA cluD meeting sSSASIudS aA- ternoon, and after spirited debate were referred to the legislative committee with instructions to report at the next meet ing of the club. In the resolutions was clause referring the matter to spe- cial committee but Gen. l.. V. Clark of fered a substitute that the question be referred to the legislative committee and the substitute was finally carried.
 The resolutions follow:
 Be it resolved, That the Commercial club is heartily in accord with the move- ment to incorporate under one municipal l ity Birmingham and the surrounding towns; and be it further
 Resolved, That the president appoint q committee of five to cooperate with u similar committee from the Board of Trade in assisting the Mayor and Board of Aldermen In the matter"
 Mir. Corners Position.
 B. B. Conner, president and treasurer of the Avondale cotton mills, spoke em- phatically against the resolution. He said that for years he had been opposed to the city's allowing certain properties, the Birmingham rolling mills, to be ex-
  \, mercial club had voted against him in the matter. He said that now he did not think that the city had a right to go ahead and take these industries, the Avondale cotton mills, the Birmingham rolling mills and the Sloss furnaces into the city and make them pay taxes when they had built near the city for the pur- pose of aiding the city, but outside the city limits in order not to pay city taxes. He said common honesty would not al- low the city to take such action and that the Commercial club should not indorse such a movement without careful con- sideration. He claimed that these indus- tries were not tax dodgers, but that they had built with the understanding that they would be out of the city and not taxed He said Birmingham could not expect to get any more industries II she took such step as this and broke faith, as she would if she enlarged her limits and included those industries in her boundaries.
 No one else spoke on the resolutions.
 Exemptine Industries.
 Secretary Gibson reported that two bills
 
 tain manufacturing industries from taxa tion for a certain time and another to get more liberal incorporation laws and that they would be introduced at the fall session of the legislature. He saio he had been asked by the Jefferson coun- ty delegates to investigate and get copies of the laws of New Jersey, West Vir- ginia and one of the western states on this question and include certain of them in the Alabama bill. B. B. Conner spoke in favor of the matter being pushed through the legislature, and urged that some of the strongest dele gates be asked to introduce the bill.
 Secretary Gibson reported for the com mittee which went to Montgomery to have the revenue bill changed. He sala that the committee had been successful. It was dismissed with the thanks of the club.
 B. Steiner reported that the special committee on the water question was al work and that bill would be intro duced at the fall session of the legisla- ture creating water district with power to issue bonds and erect d water works.
 Educational Association.
 A resolution inviting the Southern Edu- cationa association and the Alabama | Educational association to meet in Bir- mingham this summer was passed by the Commercial club yesterday afternoon, and a committee of three consisting of Prof. A D. Smith, M. P Messer and NJ V. Joseph was appointed to assist the teach CTS to raise the funds for entertaining the visitors.
 Touring Parties Coming.
 The invitation to both the organiza- tions will be sent at once by Prof Thomas R. Walker. charman of the com mittee appointed by the Jefferson County Educational institute to take charge of the invitations and the entertainment of the organization. The committee has de- cided not to issue the invitations until the commercial organizations of the city and county had acted. The board of trade and the mayor and board of aldermen have already extended the invitations and | appointed committees to aid the teachers. The two organizations will mean about 1000 teachers in the city for a number 
 | will be arranged.
 Two parties of prominent men making | a tour of the south were invited to stop in Birmingham, and be shown the city and surrounding territory. The parties are the American Economic and Historic society. and party of manufacturers and business men who will pass through here enroute to the meeting of the Ameri- ] can Manufacturing association to be held in New Orleans. There will be about 200 in the last party and arrangements will be made to entertain them. They have been written to and asked to arrange their schedule so as to arrive in Birming- ham early in the morning and spend the day.
 Secretary Gibson also reported that the club had assisted in the entertainment of the large party of business men from North Dakota and other western states. which was here last week. He said that he thought they left here with a bet ter opinion of Birmingham than any eth- CT similar party ever had.
 Robert Zell, W. H. Smms and Jess stallings were elected members of the club.
 The Hays Coming South. z