The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-01
Bright oatIook for 1906.

The new year begins under very bright skies in Birmingham and the Birmingham district and in all circles, manufacturing, industrial. banking. commercial and the home circle the new year Is looked forward to with much hope.
 As the old year dies announcement is made that the Republic Iron and Steel Company. which has acquired the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company, will make investments and develop property in this state on a most extensive plan. The Birming- ham district win likely be the center of operations opposing the big steel trust of the country. It is now stated that no less than five millions of dol- lars will be spent in the immediate Birmingham district during the year 1906 and before the expiration of five years this sum will be increased five to ten millions mor cs Despite state
 ments emanating from Pittsburg that the Republic Company is making ef- forts to acquire the -SheffleId Steel and Iron Company, there Is general denial of the same at the head quarters of the company in this city.
 M M. Richey. heretofore assistant general superintendent of the Southern Railway. will tomorrow take up the work of first vice president with the Sloss- Sheffield Steel end Iron Company. Mir. Richey will have charge of out side forces with the Sloss- -Sheffield company. W. W. Foreacre, formerly superintendent of the Atlanta division will come to Birmingham as assistant general superintendent of the South- ern.
 The statement is made that the Re- public Company will probably take over the management of affairs. There is no confirmation of the statement that a new president of the merged company will be elected in the next few days. Rumcrs prevail here that D. M. Foraker. now sales agent for the Republic Company at Cincinnati, will be placed in charge of the sales de- partment of the merged company Mr Foraker Is now in Birmingham but no statements on a determined line are given out. Just a few weeks ago the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad agencies in the iron and steel marts throughout the country. Whatever Is being discussed by the owners of the stock, it is absolutely certain the Bir- mingham district is going to be bene- fitted and many here are of the opinoin that this section will be the center of big operations. The erection of two big steel plants within the next twen- ty-four months appears to be assured.
 "Red Light" Causing Discussion.
 The residents in the seventh ward of Birming gham are again up in arms over tn establishment of Red Light" dis- trict in their section of the city and charges are being made against the police department. Prominent citizens in that section of the city are loud in their condemnation of the Red Light" and 1t Is openly asserted that charges will be preferred against the chief of police, The discussion on is assuming some shape and the next meeting of the Police Commissioner set for Jam uary 9th, promises to be a most in- teresting one One member of the po- lice commission, Lucien Brown, is out in an interciew in which he says the police department is demoralized and Is not as efficient as it might -be
 He does not blame the chief of po- lice for these conditions, but says that there are not enough officers in the department and that rules governing the police department are not being enforced strictly enough for him. It