The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-06
COMMITTEE NAMED 0N NEW MOVEMENT Board of Trade Endorses
 Greater Birmingham WANTS FIVE CENT FARE Board Thinks That Birmingham Rail- way, Light and Power Company
 Should Not Charge Ten
 Gents to Ensley.
WANTS FIVE CENT FARE

Board of Trade. A resolution was adopt | ed appointing a committee to confer with other committees and city officials and endeavor to have such legislation enact | ed as will extend the city limits of Bir- mingham.
 | The following is the resolution adopted: Resolved, That committee of five be
 appointed to confer with the officials of the city of Birmingham and neighboring
 municipalities and all commercial organ nations with view of consolidating un-
 der one corporation said committee to
 have authority to request and get through
 necessary legislation to that end during
 the coming legislature"
 The following committee was appointed by Chairman Parker: B. H. Cooper,
 Heidt and F. D. Butler
 When the question of appointing Greater Birmingham committee came up, John W. O'Neill said that the board had
 made fight for the passage of tho bill introduced in the last legislature. He stated that the bill did not provide for taxing and non-taxing districts and In this way many industries were included 
 in taxable property.
 MT. o'Neill stated that several people
 went to Montgomery and fought the bill.
 which was lost. He stated that under the proposed new bill the industries were excluded from taxation and the plan was
 much better He thought that the board
 should again endorse the movement. Flve-Cent Fare to EnsIey. J. E. Shelby was of the opinion that the
 board of trade should pass new resolu-
 tions, and while on the floor he advanced
 several points in favor of the proposed extension of the city limits to include some of the suburbs.
 J. F. Shelby, chairman of a special com
 mittee appointed to wait on the Birming- ham Railway, Light and Power company
 with view of obtaining five-cent rare to Ensley, stated that prior to July good progress had been made by the
 committee. MT Shelby said he believed that if the members of the committee
 would get together and enlist the sup port of the merchants and citizens or
 Ensley that enough pressure could be brought to bear on the management or the Birmingham Railway, Light and
 Power company to induce 1t to reduce the fare from ten to five cents
 MT. Shelby stated that Robert Jemison, president of the street railway company, told him that when houses took the place of vacant lots and woods along the line to Ensley the company would grant the reduction that they sought. Oscar Ven-
 able stated that he did not think that
 the company should wait until the coun-
 try between Birmingham and Ensley be-
 came more thickly populated. It was
 his opinion that the population of Ems
 ley. Pratt City and other stations on
 the line warranted a reduction in the
 fare.
 He said further that if the five-cent
 fare was established the increase in the
 traffic and the increase in the population
 of towns on the line would make the re-
 duction in the fare a paying investment
 to the company. He said also that un-
 der similar conditions in Atlanta and
 other cities the street railway companies
 charged only five-cent fare, and that
 he thought such should be done here After some further discussion, In
 which nothing in opposition to the re-
 duction of the fare was said. 1t was de-
 cided on motion of Mir Chalifoux that the citizens of Ensley and Pratt City be invited by Secretary Roy Mccullough to attend the next meeting of the board. Among those who spoke in favor of the
 reduction of the fare were John W. O'Neill President John L. Parker and c. c. Heidt.
 | It was decided to pass the matter of the Roosevelt reception over until the
 next meeting.
 Other Matters. During the meeting several talks were made by different members setting forth ways in which the objects and various
 matters taken up by the board could be even more effectively carried out. Among such talks was one made by E. E. Forbes, who advocated the appoint ment of a committee, and if necessary the hiring of man to be on the road all the time in the effort to bring new | industries to Birmingham. He said that if necessary to pay the salary of this man he thought many of the members | would be willing to double their sub scrptons. He spoke of the many new industries secured in the last twelve
 months by Pittsburg and other cities. He
 said that he thought some of them could have been induced to locate in Birming- ham. No action was taken on this idea, it having been made in the form of a suggestion.
 Chairman Parker stated that Birming- ham had the men and material. and that if the merchants would join the board of trade they could accomplish many things. such as the passage of the great CT Birmingham bill MT. Forbes sug- gested that a circular letter be sent to
 every merchant in Birmingham setting forth the reasons why they should join
 the board. Other ways of increasing the membership were discussed. Chairman Parker stated that If every members would secure two or three new members the board would soon be increased to It's proper size. He volunteered to bring five new members at the next meeting, as did also MT. Forbes and other members. It is probable that at the next meeting the board will decide on plan to increase the membership.
 John W. O'Neill, chairman of the in- surance committee, reported the matter of securing frst-class insurance rating for Birmingham was receiving due at tention.
 Mir. Heidt stated that improvements were being made constantly in the fire T Al bat t,&