The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-08
Ewing Delivers Address.

behalf of all measures which are for the public good"
 Ewing Delivers Address. President R. w. Ewing was then intro duced and he made this address on taking the chair as president of the board Gentlemen of the Board of Trade-I wish to assure you that I am deeply sensible of the high honor which you have con ferred upon me In electing me to the presidency of this splendid body of Bir- iningham's progressive merchants. I feel that to succeed to such an able admin istratIon as that of President Heidt Is of itself an honor, but one which brings with it a responsibility and a task-a re- sponsibility which will require the exer- ton of mans best energies to maintain for the board the high standard which the retiring president and his able assist ants have set during the past year. and a task to attempt to equal his accomplish ments in behalf of the mercantile and business interests of Greater Birmingham. Returning Prosperity.
 I feel, however, that I am fortunate in being called upon to assume the place
 
 when we seem to have passed and are rapidly leaving behind us the panic Of 1907, and to be making ready for another forward movement In our civic and ma terial prosperity You yourself know and see every day abundant evidence of this; the general tone of things Is good and the confidence of people in the future is bouy- ant-often the restoration of confidence Is all that is needed to restore prosperity. money is easier and collections are i'm proving, and on every hand old industries gre resuming operations or increasing their activities, and new industries with good pay rolls attached are being added tc our favored district. The total capital ization of new corporations, and the in crease in capital of the old ones during the past two months has amounted to ever $13,O0O,O00. Not a single bank within the borders of Alabama closed it's doors as result of the panic. and the banks of Birmingham, whose number Is soon to be increased by the addition of new national bank with ample capital, are among the strongest and best managed in the United States, and have at this time over s25,OOO,OOO on deposit. Work on one big skyscraper Is progressing rapidly, while two, probably three more, will be- gin in the near future, and a magnificent new hotel, which will be one of the very finest in the south, is being planned for cur Magic City, and the new $25O0oO cham Der of commerce building is an assured thing.
 Province of the Board of Trade.
 But, gentlemen, even were these facts otherwise, the province of the board of trade to upbuild and foster the mercan- tile interest of our greater city would be the same. If l understand correctly the objects of our organization, we are band ed together not as negative to objece to this and that and to fight somebody or something which does not meet our views entirely, but, remaining aloof from po- litical alignments and movements. we are able to see that justice is done the mer- chants of Birmingham, who contribute so largely to the prosperity of this commun- ity by searching out and bringing trade and dollars from the surrounding coun- try, counties and states into the coffers of our city, and by circulating 1t here in- crease the material wealth and prosperity of its entire population. The chronic knocker has no place here We stand