The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-26
FINAL ACTION
 POSTPONED College Commission Dis cusses Situation. MANNER HALL RUINS VIEWED Will Not Rebuild Fire-gutted
 Structure.
  0Iethedist woman's College Commi,- sion Canvass Various Plans to Open School on Time, But
 Reach no Final
 Decision.
MANNER HALL RUINS VIEWED

Called together at o'clock yester- day morning. the members of the Meth. odist Womans' College Commission viewed the ruins of Hammer Hall. ae- stroyed by fire early yesterday morn- 10 discuss the opening of the school term. Deiiberating far into the day. .he Commission decided upon no def,n. te plan of action. although several pisns were discussed at length.
 That the college would not be open- ed on September 30 as was originally Pianned. Is about settled. The first gaah oI the Commission was to get the Episcopai trustees Of the school build ing to make repairs at once and en- sDie the college to open with a short delay.. This was found to be out of the question, as the trustees of the property did not care to make the large expenditure necessary upon the cracked she'll
 The Commission then considered the possibility of opening the school on time, utilizing the old buildings of inc Alabama Female College at Tuskeree. which had been abandoned and com solidated with the Montgomery colfere Although the question was dfscussed on all sides. the commission took no active steps toward reitting the old eoAAUahSS at 1uSkeEeG.
 Judge W. H. Thomas. memhe- o, the commission, said yesterday after noon that the commissioners would consider every proposition thoroughlv before making a final decision. "yo,, see" said Judge Thomas, there are about 15o students already enrolled for the term of the college for 1s09-1s1o ana that the parents of these students expect to send their daughters to Montgomery. All of these parents viii nave to be sent an official communi- cation that the hall has been destroved by fire. and that it will be impossibIe to open the school in Montgomery at Hammer Hall on September 30. No Final DecisSon.
 Propositions which appear good to she commission will be sent with tffis official communication in all probabil- .aty, and the decision of the commission win in a large measure, I should think. depend upon the desires of the par ents."
 The execution of the contract for ehe new building, made on the day previous to the fire, will not in the least be interfered with, said Judge Thomas. The work on the permanent building at the Cloverdaie site will be rushed to. completion. and formally opened for the reception of students next year. s1
 Ine cOHlnnlSSIOn aoJOurneQ yesterday afternoon without taking final action Dn any proposition submitted.
 The trustees of Hammer Hall did not meet yesterday to consider the prop Osition of rebuilding the hall, but from statements by members of the board At was learned that several were op- posed to such course. The board will not meet for several days, until the absent member returns to Mont Gomery.
 Hammer Hall was built just prior fo7 the war, largely through the efforts of Bishop Nicholas Hammer Cobbs and the liberality of Col. Samuel G. Jones, Dr. T. B. Taylor and Col Charles T. Pollard and other members of St. Johns Episcopal Church of this city. It was named in honor of Bishop Cobbs.
 The hall was under the auspices of St. Johns Church for a number of years and did not become diocesan property until sometime in the '70s. It Is now the property of the diocese in trust for girls school in Mont gomery. and the property or its pro- ceeds to be used for the purpose of establishing church school for girls In this city.
 Repairing Just Finished.
 It has not been practicable at this time, nor for several years past, 10 keep up a school, and by resolution of The laSt cOuncli or the EplSCOpdl CHuTcH of the State, the trustees were au- thorized to rent it to the Methodists until they completed their buildings for their own purposes.
 The Methodist authorities were en- gagged in such repairing and refitting as would enable them to use 1t, In con- nection with other buildings in the neighborhood. What will be done now is a matter for future consideration, but 1t will no doubt be decided in the ner future. It would take several months to repair Hammer Hall, and 1t is not known what the trustees will do.
 The trustees are Major W. W. Screws. Judge Thomas c. Jones, Hart well Douglass and J., B. Jones of Montgomery, and J. W. Mcqueen of Birmingham. Three of the four trus- fees who live in Montgomery are pres ent in the city, MT. Douglass being absent and not to return until next week. It will be several days. there Rora hofora fruafaea will meet ft