The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-13
Robert emson rp Installed as President ofhe Commercial Club and Delivers His Initial Speech in That Capacity Pledged the Support 1.-the Old and Young
 Members of the Organization
Twenty-Five New Members Are Elected and the Club Will r to Secure Membership of 1000 This Year-Retrlng President I. H. Motion is Given Rising
 Vote of Thanks for Work During Year,

The annual meeting or the COlninerclal club was held last night. Robert Jemison, Jr., was formally installed in office and reports for the past year were made by the officers and the chairman of a number of the standing committees.
 Although the weather was none too good, there were fully 100 members of the club present and the enthusiasm was greater than at any previous meeting. The loyal support of many of the mem bers was pledged to the newly installed president at the beginning of the Young Mems Era" in the club.
 feature of the meeting was the re- port of Secretary J. B. Babb. which showed greater prograss In the develop ment of Birmingham than was ever shown during one year in the past. The annual message of President Motion was brief and he spoke of the change from the old to the new, from the era of the older members of the club to the time when the young men will have to take hold of the wheel and steer the ship.
 New Members Elected.
 The first business after the meeting was called to order was the election of twenty-five new members. and the ex- pressed determination to have 1000 mem bers before the end of the ensuing year Following were the new members eleeted
 w. T. Foreacre, c. T. Sbley, D. K. Middleton, D. II. Holder, Frank H. Bell, A. B. Freeman, J. E. Worthington, Wil- liam Vaughan, H. c. Krebs, George M Webb, J. w. Minor, Horace Hammond s. A. Benton, Sam Mayer, Charles H. Call win, w, H. Bason, F. J. Shepherd, J. H. Montgomery, T. M. Bradley, Frank w. Smith, J. H. Eddy, Sieg Morgan, R. E. Meade and w. M. Huey.
 The report of Henry Hiden, chairman of the railroad and transportation commit tee, reported that all matters referred to the committee except the coffee rate from New Orleans and the extension of the Corona accommodation to Fayette. He said that an answer to the request for a better rate would be given shortly by the railroads and that it was probable the rate would be made He also said that the conditions favored getting the extension of the Corona accommodation.
 W. J. Cameron, chairman of the mining and manufacturing committee, reported that the committee had been hampered by lack of fund to aid worthy corporations seeking to enter Birmingham. He said that the committee favored some plan to have such fund.- that of MT. Bowron or some other
 MT. Cameron said that many communl- cations had been referred to the commit- tee and letters written regarding them, but that nearly every one asked, "how much land on the best railroads will you donate and how much stock will your citizens take?" The report goes on to say that Birmingham has long since pass ed the period in the lives of towns when free sites well located and bonuses In cash are being offered to any and every body who proposes to establish an in- dustry."
 Closer Relations.
 J. J. Smith, chairman, reported that the press and advertising committee had done little during the past year, but that there was a large field.
 NOtDlUB HWdS ItltlItu lD Illc tDHliillttS during the year and the committee did not take the initiative in anything.
 Ross C. Smith reported AS chairman of the immigration committed. His re- port was a letter to the club as he was called out of the city.
 Robert Jemison, Jr., chairman of the entertainment committee. reported on the entertainment of President Roosevelt and Vice President Fairbanks. He recom- mended that the club pass a resolution of thanks to the committee which had raised slO0.0O0. thereby assuring a state that two of the members of the solicit ing committee had recently been elected president and secretary of the fair as- sociation.
 w. D. Nesbitt, chairman of the public policy committee, urged that Birmingham enter into closer relation with the towns in the district and surrounding portions of the state. He said that Birmingham was different from any other city in the south, in that it was the heart In the body of the district, whereas, in other southern cities the large city was prac- tically the only incorporated town of any size in the county or in the surrounding counties. He said for this reason Bir- mingham should keep In close touch with the towns surrounding 1t so that all might work together to get results for the district
 ,I. sNIro .f +f,<x iI,il iftt of getting the headquarters of the Far mer's union and the paper published by the union to move to Birmingham, and ip that connection urged a closer rela- ton with the farmers of the state.
 W. T. Archer, chairman of the finance and taxation committee, said that the committee had had very little referred to 1t, but that he had been busy with the books of the club. He spoke of the in- creases in the tax returns in the city, the returns from licenses and also of the Increase in the county tax receipts. prosperity.
 Hill Ferguson, chairman of the commit tee on a permanent industrial exhibit in the club rooms. reported that the first of the big exhibits had been secured. that of the manufacturers of clay pro- ducts, and that this with other similar exhibits, was to be placed on the fourth floor of the building occupied by the club.
 Secretary Babb reported for the com m8tee on retail trade in the absence of