The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-10
First Session Yesterday Afternoon
 Was Highly Interesting
SEVERAL PAPERS WERE READ
H. B. Gray and ]. L. Parker Made Wei coming Addresses-Pres't Brown
 Responded-Comprehenslve
 Papers On Yellow Fever.


 yesterday afternoon in the city hall. Be- ginning at 10 o'clock in the morning and lasting until noon were the meetings of the committees at the Hotel EIillman and the registration of the delegates in the office of City Engineer Julian Kendrlck. Only about forty registered yesterday. Others arrived late last night on delayed trains.
 An inspection was made of the exhibits in the armory, where pipes, of every de- scription, meters brick, bithulithic pave ment and all the other materials Of lh- terest to the city engineer were attractlVe- ly displayed. The armory was arrang 'd in booths, festooned Ike, the walls ana ceiling with red, white and blue buntihs' It was, in fact, an exposition for ehSl- neers. abounding Tn the customary lter- ature about tho wares set up for inspec- ton by the different manufacturing houses.
 Address of Welcome.
 At the opening hour the convention was called tc order by President Charles Car rol Brown of Indianapolis. editor Of the Municipal Engineer" On his right sat Secretary George w. Tilson, city engineer of Brooklyn, N. Y. Mrs. R. K. DaVls CT Detroit and Mrs Frank Book of Newarh. N. J., were present. President Brown presented Henry B. Gray. nominee TOT lieutenant governor, who. representins Mayor Ward, made the address Of wei come MT. Gray said:
 aA1t .ofiae and Gentlemen
 q trust when I appear here in the posi- ton of substitute for our distingulshec mayor, who had business out or the GUY, that yonr welcome to Birmingham Will seem no less hearty. During the past year 1t has been the pleasure or BIT mngham to be visited by many dlstln- guished bodies. First we had the Medical Society, then the Methodist conference with it's distinguished divines, the Teach CTS Convention of the State of Alabama, but I do not believe during the year we have had a body whose aim and object IS worth more to the cities from which they come as well as to this city. Birming- ham is a new '.'wn. It started withm the memory of men still living and Tor what it is today 1t owes a great deal 10 d member of your profession, MT War ing. now of New York, who mapped out the sanitary system of the city.
 Coming as you do from distance will tell you something about Alabama Alabama is the foremost in the sister, hood of states and first in almost every thing. I trust your visit may be fraught with as much interest and benefit to you as it will be with interest and benefit to ourselves. I want to say that the keys of Birmingham are now turned over to you. and if you get yourselves locked up we will see that the keys are turned oyer to some one who will get you out"
 John L.. Parker then made an appro- priate address of welcome on behalf of the Commercial club. paying a graceful tribute to NJ. Gary.
 President Brown in his response to the address as of welcome said, T don't know
 that there is much that can say except tc thank you for showing us what Bir- mingham is like. I am really very much impressed with the resources of B!i .aing- ham. V'e have heard stories about this, district but it Is much better to sec and ese see great things in store for you. Bir- minghanl, as you gentlemen tell us, Is 3 iew city. l have been to the principal centers of this section of the country and I must say that Birmingham is the handsomest city in the scdth. We will
 
 will try to rec'procate with good conduct and the papers and discussions which we cffer"
 Presidents Address.
 Next vas the presidents address. MT. Brown said in part:
 The presidents address in a society Of this sor. is very frequently q perfunctory review of the progress of the year, or in branch of work covered by flP ciety. With us this duty IS much better performed by the committee on review which spends year in getting its ln- formation together and has two or three engaged upon its report. The achieve rnents sof the society itself, the history of it's efforts, have been quite fully 3ot forth ir several pres dents addresses and pd- pers betore this an1 other societies, one of which l had the honor to prepare for the civic week at the St, Louis exposition. An address upon thIs subject would also be guilty of repetition of material al- ready familiar to us all. The future of the society ie a subject which has not been over elaborated, and is one that may be made fresh because it Is largely mat .4r of inaglua.ion While there may he many differences in our statements of rast history which are largely due to our common basis and cannot get far from 1t, in form at least.
 Benefits of Society.
 'The benefits of the society have bee restricted too much to its own member. ship. Progressive municipal officials have recognized the value of membership in the society and many have been induced to join on account of the valuable char acter of the proceedings It is the fact. however, hat the knowledge of the value of the society is >Lot widespread, that many officials do not know of Its ex- istence, that many others know 1t only by name, and that a goodly number of those who see what the value of such society might be have taken the trouble to find out whether the society fills the bill. Some city officials as well as news paper men call the trip to the con- vention junket, knowing that many such trips may be so classified. but not being able to distinguish the differences in the quality of societies and memberships But there Is {. still greater number of per- sons who need to know what this so- ciety can tell them. but are not eligible to membership because they cannot recip- rocate in kind for the benefit they may receive.
 Some of these persons, selected from our best citizens the most proxressive and the most publie-spirited. have formed themselves into a society for the study of municipal problems and are doing care full and often most valpable work upon them They need the information abou, principles and methods in many lines which the discussions in this society would give them. They need to feel the spirit which pervades this society, which they