The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-14
Housing Meeting Held By Con- merciaI Club, Future. Pic
 tured In Rosy Iints
SUB-TREASURY AND NEW
 POSTOFFlCE ARE SOUGHT
Everybody Favors Greater Birmine- ham and Every Member of Club Is Urged To Aid In Bringing
 Out a Full Vote.


 Words of cheer and optimism, faith in Birmingham, confidence in Brming- ham-this was the keynote of the regu- lar monthly meeting of the Commercial club yesterday afternoon. Enthusiasm not knoeker present-Birmngham for ever, with resources making a founda- ton which nothing can shake. A large and representative gathering was in at- tendance and things went with a hum.
 The extending of an invitation to Sec retary of the Treasury Cortelyou to visit Birmingham, an address by Prof. w. B. Phillips showing by statistics that Bir- mingham was in good normal condition, a talk by W. P. G. Harding, president of the First National bank, in which he stated that 1t was his personal knowl edge that at least three of Birmingham largest banks had more than 50 per cent of their total deposits stored in their vaults, a boosting speech by Rufus N. Rhodes and a Greater Birmingham war whoop by Jere C. King, were a few of the enthusiastic features of the meet ing.
 Sub-Treasury and Postoffice.
 The establishment of the sub-treasury here and the making of this town a reserve fund city by the United States government, and also the erecting of million-dollar postoffce, were a few of the plums which the speakers declared would be the fruits of making Greater Birmingham.
 President Sterling A. Wood presided and in one of his characteristic talks told of the doings of the club for the past month. His speech pictured a sil- yer lining and expressed much of the sentiment of the meeting.
 The report of Secretary J. B. Babb was read, after which MT. Babb also read a report on the membership of the association, showing that IT new mem- bers had been taken in during the last month.
 T. H. Motion made short talk in which he stated that one of the news papers of Birmingham had declared that 16,00O men were out of employment in Birmingham and the immediate district, and that he thought the club should re- flute this statement, and called upon Prof. W. B. Phillips to speak on the subject, Phillips Presents Some Facts.
 Professor Phillips, who is probably the best informed man in Birmingham in regard to it's resources and otherwise, responded with a few statistics compar- ing Birmingham of today with Birming- ham in 1893, and also In a general way with the past few years
 tl,a hn Birmingham district had 3S coke furnaces within it's confines, of which 90 were out of blast The eight furnaces which were running only had capacity of 7000 tons per week. On July 1, 1907, there were A furnaces in the same district, of which 31 were in full blast, with only 13 out.
 '"rhe total pig iron production of the Birmingham district for last year was 1, 600, ,OOO which was only slightly under the maximum amount. The best six months of last year showed S4S, GOO as against the first six months of this year with. s46,0O0, a decrease of only 2000 tons for the entire six months.
 "trimes such as the present are always seized upon by the iron companies as a time for refining, cleaning and enlarging their plants. During 1906 the plants pro- duced at the rate of 66 per cent of their weekly capacity which is above normal, the average being from co to Go per cent. At the present time the production i~ about 50 per cent"
 Continuing MT. Phillips said that one- third of the plants were out of commits sion now, and that the reason for this was that some of these plants always shut down when the price of iron fell be- low SIS per ton.
 The speaker also referred to the pur- chase of the Tennessee company by the United States Steel corporation. and said that 1t was needless to be thro wing com pliments at the corporation, as 1t had dl- ready made for itself becfof roses. 'The United States Steel corporation did not purchase these plants to stop develop ment. They know the value of these plants, and they are going to develop them. To those who have been wonder ing if Birmingham was built on pig ron or a quicksand foundation, this purchase makes q very favorable argument for the pig iron base"
 Rufus N. Rhodes was requested by President Wood to make q speech on the negative side of Professor Phillips argu- ments but replied that 1t was impossible for him to do so. that he could not utter a word in protest. Instead he launched out into a eulogy of Birmingham, and of how It was able to weather all storms.
 King On Greater Birmingham.
 Jere King followed MT. Rhodes and set forth few of the many advantages to be gained by creating Greater Birming- ham. "A population (. l25,00 will get that sub-treasury," said MT. King "lt will also bring in a s1,000000 federal build- ing He urged that every member of the club constitute himself as q committee of one to see that voter went to the polls on January and cast vote for Great CT Birmingham. This was amended oy the meeting, which declared that every member must see that at least four or five voters go to the polls on that day
 Mir. King also made reference to the great need of a joint sewerage system for the whole district, setting forth that 22O00 people resided between Birming- ham and East Lake, and that the sewer age from this territory flowed through Birmingham. "The sewerage from 800 negro houses not far from the location of this club also flows through Birming. ham," continued the speaker. "Birming- ham has a majority of over TOO of the voters in Greater Birmingham and every