The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-24
REPORT OF SECRETARY.
MT. Gilbert Goes Into Details of
 Work.

NOEAS
 The encouraging report of Secretary l.. l.. Gilbert was in part as follows: MT President and Gentlemen:
 Tn considering the work of the past year in comparison with the work ac- complished in previous years, 1t Is evil dent that the usefulness of the Asso- citation to this community is increasing year by year.
 "During the past twelve months in spite of some drawbacks and hind rances. there has been undertaken an unusual amount of good work for Mont gcmery. This work. too, has not been confined along any one line, but covers wide diversity of concentrated endeavor wider perhaps than in any year in our history.
 'All of the efforts have not been en- tirely successful-nor have they yet seen their, fruition.
 Trading Stamp Legislation. e
 "On the aggressive fight made in behalf of the merchants of Alabama in the Leg islature last fall. In an effort to keep the trading stamp leach from getting a hold in Alabama, the Retail Trade Com mittee of the Association, J. M. Hicks, Chairman, should receive most hearty congratulations. Day after day members of that committee abandoned their pri- vate business and went up to the Cspi- tol where careful explanations were made to individual legislators of the purpose of the bill A strong lobby, however, en- ployed by the trading stamp companies, a.Ged by the choked condition of legts- Iatlon at the last successfully prevented final favorable action on the bill. Local | ly however the matter has been ham | dled through the City Council and ef- fective license ordinances were prompt | ly passed The legality of the ordinance has been challenged and Is now being tested in the courts.
 Hast summer the Association. through snecial committee. " H. Hanson, Chair man. took up the matter of encamp- l nd raa eor l Montgomery the location of the camps | of inc 2nd and Sd ReRiments of the Ala hama National Guard. Coming in the duU months of summer time the dis rpursement of a large sum of money in , the cash trade of the city was most well come and at the same time the attrac- tjOns of the Capital City as place of permanent residence, were evidenced to | a host of young Alabamians.
 1 Lower Insurance Rates.
 "In inc fall the Association began an inv estigation into the question of insur- ance rates After a voluminOus corre- spondence with the southeastern Tariff | Associatfon a special subcommittee of | inc Insurance Committee. c. P. Ander- | son. Chairman, went to Atlanta to ap- near before the Executive Committee of | that organization. The Montgomery situ- ation was argued for several hours, but | tha high license charged insurance com nanies for doing business in Montgom- | cry (higher than anywhere else in the | United states), proved an insurmount- 1t was ascertained that the business community is being penalized by the Southeastern Tariff Association over and above the rating for a first class city on the following accounts:
 For lack of first-class fire engine, chemical engine and additional hydrants, I 10 cents; for lack of duplicate pump at pumping station, 10 cents; for excessive taxation, l5 cents: total, 35 cents. This makes Montgomery's basic rate S5 cents. The Committee is of the opin- ior, that the improvements mentioned in the water supply and fire department are unauestionably needed for proper fire pro- i lection to property owners. entirely in- dependent of any reduction in the rates eantly heen authorized by vote of the