The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-31
Twelfth Annual Meeting Brings Together Many Men
 of Prominence
REPORTS OF OFFICERS
 ARE VERY FLATTERING
Light Luncheon Was Served and Members Devoted Evening to Speech Makine-Many Industries
 Have Been Established.

The twelfth annual smoker of the Bir- mingham Commercial club was given | night and more than 100 prominent citi- zens gathered to attest their faith in the great good the organization is accomplish ing for the Birmingham district.
 As is customary at these meetings the officers make their annual reports and the president announces the chairmen of the various committees.
 After the business had been disposed Of the club constituted itself committee of the whole and many members told Of the great things the organization had accomplished.
 Among those who spoke were. J. w. Mc- Queen, Chapel Cory. W. H. Ketug, E P. Smith, James Bowron, J. B. Babb and others.
 A light luncheon was served and the affair proved to be delightfui reunion of the men who help to make Birming- ham.
 President Jackson's report was in the no+,re of an address and was in part as follows:
 President Jackson's Report.
 The message I have for the ciuo to- night is that with united effort all good enterprises spell success. This has been fully demonstrated in the work or the Commercial club during the year Just closed Last May we began with two hundred and twenty-five members Ill good standing; today the membership or the club Is more than four hundred, com posed of active, interested men working together and building the greatest and best city in the whole south.
 The club owed s594S4 for old and un- settled claims on the 1st of last May All of this has been paid, and in addi- ton to this s29O has been spent in re- furnishing the club rooms. The club is now out of debt and has $44S1 to begin the work of a new year.
 Much has been done during the year. as is clearly set forth in detail by the secre- tary in his annual report. The great and absorbing work of the club has been centered in making an exhibit at the St. Louis worlds fair, the main feature of which Is the great iron statue, Vulcan, now completed and doing the work 1t was designed to do, 1. e., advertising the re- sources of our wonderful mineral dis trict.
 Has Been Great Task.
 The work of building this Vulcan and the gathering together of the general ex- hibit has been quite task, but now that the work Is accomplished, we look with pride at so laudable a result-Vulcan standing alone in all his majesty, sur rounded by as inc display of mineral products, raw and finished, as can be seen at St. Louis. It Is the exhibit of exhibits and the envy of all others. the final cost not exceeding $25,O00 and gain ing advertisement for Birmingham and the district that could not be bought for s15O,O00 Well may the club feel proud of this great work The exhibit is Ala bama's only representation at the worlds fair. For that reason 1t is known as the Alabama exhibit and we extend to every to share all the good and glory that will come to us from this great a8hievement. All this has come to us through a united effort. What has been done is an in- spiration for the accomplishment of greater things In the future.
 Water Supply.
 Active and immediate steps should be taken to give Birmingham and Birming- ham district a larger and cheaper supply of water While the supply now Is good and abundant for all present needs, the citys growth demands that we take up the matter at once with a view to future needs. The relation between the domes- tic consumer and the water works com pany forecasts that we cannot and ought not much longer postpone control by the city of the domestic water supply. The advantages of municipal control over