The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-02
BY BRUCE KENNEDY.

So successful was the thirty-fourtf meeting of the Alabama Press Asso ciation at Coden that at its close { resolution introduced by the commit tee on resolutions. was passed unani mously. felicftating the Association or the work accomplished and the har mony existing between the members
 Tn" editors have freely discussed having an annual outing at the beau tiful resort on Portersville Bay.
 It was the unanimous opinion of th' editors that the Coden meeting wa: the most beneficial in the recent his tory of the organization. All discort has passed away and for the frs time in many years there was nc acrimony in debate. no pickering. nc petty jealousies. Keen interest wa! manifested in the mutual uplift of th' newspaper business in Alabama. Tn, literary features of the program wer' interesting. but the business side wal emphasized.
 Discussions of advertising. improv ing the newspapers, and advancing thu welfare of the State had trs frs; cal and when the meeting adjourned sin' die the editors had the satisfaction O knowing that they had done some thing. that the Association had accom- plished more than merely listening tt debate without results.
 Tho most important step taken b! the Association was the raising of ; committee to devise ways and mean for establishing a central agency fo handling foreign advertising of al weekly newspapers. members Of th' Association. It Is proposed to hav' this advertising placed by manager of the Central Bureau Association. I was shown that even though thl' agency should cost each newspaper il the Association $100 a year 1t would result in economy for the newspape so much more business and bette rates would accrue to it.
 The scheme comprehends a fixed ant inflexible rate per thousand circula ton for each weekly newspaper in th Association and more intelligen handling of foreign advertising.
 Next to this matter of advertising in importance was the revision of tn constitution of the Association. Tn new constitution was drawn by com mittee consisting of Major W. W Screws, of Montgomery. M. W. Camp er of Florence, and R. l.. o'Neal. o Huntsville. The new instrument wa read and adopted seriatum, its con sideration consuming all of one morn ing.
 The New Constitution.
 The new constitution Is strong ant businesslike. It makes the Association an organization of newspaper men an' for newspaper men. All dead period icais are left outside and monthly pa pers except those now members of tn Association are barred. There ar only two monthlies now members O the Association and their editors ar to be denied membership If they hav
 been or are guilty of misconduct AS an evidence of the determina ton of the Association to purge itsel of hangers membership was de nied MT. Fleming of the American Newspaper Union with headquarters Il Birmingham A few of his friends ap pealed to the Association to elect hin to membership saying that the DO metal syndicate" of which MT. Flem ing is the manager, printed nor
 newspapers than all the weekly paper in the State combined.
 The majority denied MT. Fleminl membership but as he was present resolution was passed granting hir the courtesy of the floor.
 It Is doubtful If greater number bona fide newspaper men of Aiabam has gathered to attend meeting or tn Association before in ten years. Eighty six editors were present at roll call They represented the best newspaper of the State, and it was noted that a least half of them came from tn Northern part of the state. The meetings were held in the "Codel Opera House." a large building locate
 on an island of Coden Bayou reache by a pier stretching from the white shelled road leading to the bay front The railway station and the postoffic are close by. No more convenient plac could have been selected. The ladies of Coden with rare pa triotism had labored several days dec orating the hall and 1t reflected grea credit upon their artistic ability an their discretion. Across Its front wa a huge banner bearing the inscriptio "Welcome to Coden." Inside bus hands had deftly arranged smilax an other greens and the stage setting wa that of woodland scene. The hal has seating capacity of about 800 per sons. At the opening session Frank N. Stan ton, of Coden, one of the best fellow and one of the best known men of tn ulf Coast country, spoke few word of sincere welcome and introduced Ed itor Rufus N. Rhodes of The Birming ham News, who had been accorded tn distinction of being selected by tn Coden Committee 10 welcome ms orotii CT editors to the beautiful little resort The speech of Editor Rhodes bristle
 with happy thought. Editor H, $. Dos ter of The Prattville Progress respond ed eloquently to the address of wei come.
 Honoring Major Screws. The remainder of the session wa given over to honoring Major Screw upon the fortieth anniversary of hi
 editorship of The Advertiser, complet details of which have been published, With the assembling of the editor the next morning President Greer an nounced that 1t was his purpose to com plete the business of the Association