The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-15

last night that he visited Birmingham about 10 years ago, but had not been 1 here since
 Birmingham has improved so much that I scarcely recognized 1t as the same place I saw on my former trip" said | Colonel Caldwell 'Its development has l been wonderful, indeed Few cities have | had such rapid growth and fewer still | can boast of such beautiful residence | sections. All visitors must be greatly | impressed with Birmingham
 l The Chamber of Commerce entertain ment committee, of which John L. Par
 
 | between the railroads and the league l and to engender a thorough understand ing of cooperation, the local and district | passenger officials of all the railroads | running into Birmingham were invited to | a meeting of the board of directors. There was a good attendance of railroad oni- | cials at the meeting. All of the phases l of the question were discussed In a | friendly way and cordial relations estab- lished that have already helped the work | we are trying to do.
 Then at another meeting the Hon. w. | D. Nesbitt, state railroad commissioner, l gave us a most interesting talk, which contained much practical information.
 Talks With Railroads. Your secretary then began to get after I tn erailroads on train schedules, week. ! end rates, etc. This has been work | of some magnitude, and two stenogra- phers have been kept busy during the l greater portion of the last few weeks. l As you doubtless know, the changing Of | train schedules is rather an intricate mat ter, involving similar changes in connect | ing lines. Up to the present time prac- | tically all of the roads have proven re- | captive, and we hope to soon near or | some important and beneficial changes l in train schedules. One road hoids out | hopes of putting on a new train to meet | inc demand made. The whole object of | this train schedule work Is to give out | of-town people more shopping hours" | with us.
 In the matter of k-end rates we l have been more fortunate. The Ala bama Great Southern has put on week -end rate of one fare for round | trip. all points in the state, tickets | on sale Saturday and to noon Sunday, | good for return until midnight Monday. | The Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic | has also announced rate Of one and 1 one-third fare for round trip, with | similar limitations. Your secertary IS | still working on the other roads, and has bright hopes of several Of them 1 coming across on the week -end rates l at an early date. It Is felt that 1T we secure a general adoption of the week | end rates, we will have accomplish ed l something of the utmost importance | to the retail trade interests of the city.
 Mailing Lists.
 | Correspondence Is under way with the | various railroads with view to secur- | ing the names of all reputable whlte l people living along the roads. It IS l intended to prepare mailing list or | th ese names, and furnish the same or duplicates of it to our merchant mem bers that they may circularize the ter ritory along such roads as put on special rates or excursions.
 | In addition to this an up-to- date mailing list of about $500 names of reputable people in our trade terrltorv is now being duplicated in the sec retary's office and will be furnished 10 the members of the league at an early ! date This list was furnished through the courtesy of Mrs. J. B. Reid, who IS 1 much interested In the Work ol 'ae ] Business Mems league.
 The matter of stop-overs on through tickets has been taken up with the railroads Memphis and Chattanooga have such privileges accorded them and we are as justly entitled 10 the | same recognition. While this question may have to be passed up to the South = | eastern Passenger Tariff association, we have hopes of eventually securing stop overs of 10 days on through tickets solo via this point.
 Now the most important work of this lea eue. the work which will make our 1 various movements in other directions bring practical and fruitful results Is l advertising. We might get all Klnos of concessions from the railroads with but little benefit to us, unless the out l of-town people are made to understand | what such concessions mean to them Tn increased and better treveling and shopping facilities.
 Advertising Movement.
 We have already started an adver- Using movement. About 150 out-of- town papers, embracing the northern l half of Alabama have been written to The aims and objects of the league | work was explained and editorial com ment requested. A number of these papers have replied and the present i week should see wide mention of Bfr mingham as the natural and logical trade center of large territory. Al the same time the matter is being pushed in the local papers.
 To show the Alabama Great Southerr and Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic railroads our appreciation of their put ting on weekend rates, and especially to give wide publicity to such rates, g quarter-page display ad. was inserted in The Age-Herald Sunday
 The same ad will appear in the Led ger of tomorrow and the News of Thurs day. The insertion of these ads was SC cured free of cost to the league.
 To further emphasize the week-ent rates all merchant members of the leagu
 were specially requested to mention th same In their newspaper ads. The ob ject of this was two-fold: First, to pub fish the information for the mutual ben eft of yourselves and the out-of-towi shoppers, and to show such railroads a have not yet come across on week-en' rates that we were ready and willing t give publicity to any concessions grant ed. While a few of the most progressiv business houses have mentioned the week end rates in their ads, the notice shoult have appeared in the ads of every mem br represented in this organization. It | only by such cooperation that our worl can be made effective.
 A comprehensive campaign of advertis ing should be undertaken, advertising ol