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

1 broad scale, embracing local and out of-town newspapers, follow-up leaflets, bill posting, etc. We should thoroughly bill every railroad that puts on week end or other special rates. The league s advertising should be supplemented by that of the business houses and banks of the city. Every letterhead of the im- portant business houses and every enve- lope they send out should bear some slogan or legend that would advertise us and tend "to bring more trade to Bir- mingham." Now, such a campaign natur- ally would cost money, but, in my opin- ion the money you have subscribed can be spent in no better way than in ad- vertising. One thousand dollars or even $500 month for the next few months, if judiciously applied, will make Birming- ham and its trade facilities and advan- tages better known than ever before throughout territory that is justly it's own. The results of such an advertising fund If supplemented by the cooperation of the local business houses as suggested above Is bound to be of untold benefit to our trade.
 l leave for St. Louis tomorrow and will spend several days there studying the publicity and promoting campaign which the Associated Retailers of that city have been successfully conducting for soma time. While the conditions surroundine the two cities are not at all similar it Is thought the information secured there will be of value and may save us some costly mistakes.
 After Big Conventions.
 It IS the purpose of your league to go out after such conventions as will be Of real benefit to our city. Some conventions bring little if any trade and may not be worth the expense of se curing them; others are of great benefit to trade and should be secured at any reasonable expense. We already have the assurance of the national meeting of the farmers' union here next fall and have been practically assured that the next meeting of the State Educational asso- citation at which there will be a large attendance of women teachers will meet in Birmingham.
 The work of your league should orou, and spread until 1t may possibly en- brace many lines not originally intend ed, but which will be of direct benefit to your trade interests When we 20 into our new quarters in the Chamber of Commerce building we should have a resting room for out-of- town lady shop pers. We expect to conduct a bureau of information, where out-of-town people may receive proper attention. We might
 
 eventually credit information branch. At present, however, the prime and di- rect object of our work is to furnish a 1 panacea for the present hard times by Improving trade. by bringing in more out of-town people. The next few months should show the increasing practical re- | suits of our work so far. It remains | Tor your as individuals and firms to aug ment these results by supplemental CO., | operative work of your own. Your secre- tary Is sparing no time nor energy in working for your interests in work In | which he Is conscientiously interested and which he feels will be success.
 Nesbitt Speaks.
 | W. D. Nesbtt railroad commissioner,
 was asked to make talk and his words
 were full of good cheer. He felt that the league has the very brightest prospects, because 1t Is getting busy to make con-
 ditions better without waiting for good times to come along
 ! His talk was along the line of the ef- feet of transportation as a benefit to l the trade of Birmingham. He said that | the city would diminish to nothing should | all the railroads withdraw from the city. | His narration of the development of | transportation from the trail and the toll
 road to the railroad of the present was | quite interesting and he emphasized that
 the old common law of transportation has always required the individuals who were
 given the right to use the roads, to give 1 adequate service at a reasonable rate. 1 MT. Nesbitt thought the cooperation of merchants, manufacturers and rail- road men very necessary feature. 1 Your desire is to reach out your in- , fiuence and trade as far as possible and
 to increase the population within that radius. The success of the little manu-
 facturer bears directly on your retail
 trade and you should do all in your