The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-15
CHAFFEE SUBMITS HIS FIRST REPORT Business Mems League In Quarterly Session BOOSTING FOR MORE TRADE Interesting Talks Are Made By Mem bers on Work That Can Be
 Done By the
 League.
BOOSTING FOR MORE TRADE


 League.
 The Business Mems league held an in- teresting quarterly session last night in the Chamber of Commerce rooms and lis 1 tened to interesting addresses by John L. Parker, w. D. Nesbitt, G. B. McVay and the report of Secretary Chaffee. The feature of the meeting was the declaration may by MT. Mcvay, who is president of the Amzi Golden Seed com pany, that Birmingham is sending out S, ,500. 900 to other counties and states Tor the one item of potatoes. He made the rad ical statement that Birmingham sends l ont all she makes for something to eat, and said that the merchants of Birming- ham would never get their share of trade nntil they bring the truck gardener to Jefferson county to meet the consumption on the spot, and reduce the cost or NV- ing.
 MT. Nesbitt made a very thought1ui talk in which he said that the best way to get the farmer to trade In Birming- ham is to run the county roads to the 1 county line, cut down the hills and lnouce him to come here and do his trading. he 1 said that thousands of bales of cotton are I being carried 20 miles up Shades Vaiiey | to Leeds. when they could be brought only eight miles to Birmingham II d low grade road were put through Heo mountain. and the way was opened into Shelby county. He urged the importance of using the roads which nave aii ieaus been built in that valley, ana saiu IL could be accomplished by cutting roau through the mountain.
 Calls on Parker.
 President c. W. Ufford declared that tile Business Mems league is an organization os action rather than one of talking lie said if was the idea of the directors 10 ha,,a a meeting occasionally and interest 1 the membership in the various lines ol l work.
 He then called upon John L. Parker who briefly narrated the specialization ol .ne leaene It's accomplishments In prinsine +roda to the city, showing that the ieasue has gotten the retail men together to work in harmony to do things. .cva want to make our city beautiiul I and attractive,p he said. Take all the Belgian blocks off the streets ana orins everv section of the state to our door'
 .erbo work of the league to date has ha.n very. effective in getting all m- terests together. One of the most eneo 1 five events was the Terminal opehine' bringing pople here from all over '''e state and a large number or railr maenates, who, seeing that our men mean husiness. are ready to meet them halr way They have readily granted some os many suggestions. especially cheap rates and weekend excursions.'
 Secretary Chaffee Speaks.
 ,.u 1reord then called on Secretary chaffee, whom he introduced as work- CT of the first order. MT. chaffee read his report for his first months work as follows:
 1 "Gentlemen: In presenting this, my l first report as your secretary, allo"- ances must be made for the fact that the principal work of your secretary since he assumed the office less than one month ago. has been that of organization l and systematizing and planning what would he most conducive to success in the l work of the league "to bring more trade to Birmingham" Your secretary realized at the outset that he was employed for the specific purpose of devoting his energy | and ability to this particular purpose l That we were not to be body oi resolutors, but body of workers In specific field and with clear cut pur- pose.
 "It is unnecessary for me to present any claim as to my qualifications for this work. Suffice 1t to say that your board or directors were satisfied l was the man they desired It remains for my work anc its results during the next few months to show whether the selection was wise one or not. I can say, however, that it was very gratifying to me to be se- lected for the place, and that l will spare no effort to make your investment in my services profitable one to the trade interests of your city.
 Larger Territory.
 There Is no reason why Birmingham should not be the retail trade center o a much larger territory than 1t has here tofore commanded. That 1t has not beer so seems to have been due to your owr | tnd1nerenCe III t0e IldlltI AS lOdlS ds your citys growth was so marvelously rapid, as 1t has been since it was found ed, you might have been justified 1T swapping dollars among yourselves ol your nearby neighbors-had the business of your large corporate bodies remained steady and not been affected by f1nancia depressions, trade strikes, etc., you nigh still have been justly satisfied with you local and suburban trade. But now tha your city has outgrown its swaddlini clothes 1t must be fed with more thai the nursing bottle of home trade. It mus gird up its loins and make a determined fight for the bone and sinew of trad' that lies invitingly near in wider field field which is legitimately its own, ant which has been invaded by such citie as Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, At lanta and New Orleans Not that would minimize the importance of you local trade. It is a grand asset, but on which should be augmented from the out side.
 So much for theory, now for the prac tical side of our work. When cam here one month ago I appreciated tha the most imperative necessity to you trade improvement was to bring nor out-of-town people to your counters
 snent ahOut four days in studying thu