The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-30
BOARD IF TRADE
 IS FORMED IN ENSLEY
Will Boost Movement for
 Greater Birmingham
SCOTT-JoHNSON WEDDING
Commencement Exercises of EnsIey High EchooI Will Be Held Next Friday-Personal and General
 News of EnsIey.

Enstey, May 29.-(Special)-A meeting was held last night at the inferior court room for the purpose of organizing board Of trade for Ensley and to make an organized fight for the inclusion of Ensley in Greater Birmingham.
 The court room was well filled and number of people stood outside in the corridors.
 J. H. Leath, clerk of the inferior court. acted as chairman and Judge J. M. Don aldson was elected secretary. Mir. Leath called the meeting to order and stated the purpose of the meeting. Judge Don aldson. chairman on nominations, read the report of that committee, which was unanimously adopted.
 The following officers were elected.
 President, Judge N. w. Scott; secre- tary, Judge James M. Donaldson; treas- ureri Foster Hamilton; vice presidents, James H. Leath, R. J. Powell, Judge James Brodie John A. Angwin, J. A. Deering. A. B. Harrison, Lee White, M. M Johnson, Edgar Keenon. J. w. Karr, Thomas Gates, T. J. Kennamer, J. F. Mo. Cary, D. II. Galusha, D. J. F. Kent, G. D. Wallwork, Ed Blackman; directors, D. B. Kilgore, J. F. Echols J. W. Mi nor. D. W. Morris, F. D. Smith, Sr. 2. J. Lange, Louis Meanza, G. w. Flu 1 trelle, w. J. Gibbs, J. A. Reese l Capt. Romaine Boyd, chairman of the committee on resolutions, submitted re- port and made an able address favoring the greater city. The resolutions were as follows:
 Whereas, many of the leading business men and public-spirited citizens of Bir- | mingham and adjoining cities, wisely 1 looking to the future as well as to the immediate present, are ehdeavoring to l build a great city in Alabama, and, 1 Whereas, a city of 100000 population l will secure cheaper money on loans and more of it, besides advertising and other wise greatly advancing the growth of the entire district, and,
 Whereas, Ensley is surely needed to se- cure a population of 100000 by the time the census is taken next year, and l Whereas, Ensley is in great and press l ing need of some smaller industries which we can never hope to secure if we continue l to obstruct the Chamber of Commerce Of 1 the Birmingham district and are left out of Greater Birmingham, and, l Whereas, Greater Birmingham will en- l nance the value of our property by en- larging the market for, and increasing the activity in, Ensley real estate and, 1 Whereas, Greater Birmingham will unify our system of public roads sewer system. public utilities. etc., and se- | cure a uniform enforcement of all munio- l ipal laws in the district, and, l 'Whereas, Greater Birmingham, espe- l cally under a suitable form of commission government, will greatly aid in securing 1 more enconomy In the administration of l public affairs and tend to prevent local favorltism in the letting of public con l tracts, and,
 ''Whereas, same will keep the school board and police force out of politics and establish our school system on per1na- nent basis. and,
 | "Whereas Greater Birmingham will se- cure for us better fire insurance rates and expedite the municipal ownership of our water supply, and,
 1 Whereas, Greater Birmingham will make it possible to obtain a 5-cent street car fare for Ensley the same as is en- joyed by East Lake and even Gate City. and,
 "Whereas Greater Birmingham will abolish the street tax levied In Ensley, but 1 which Is not necessary in Birmingham; and the burdens of taxation will be other wise decreased, and
 Whereas, the extravagant admnistra- 1 tion of the affairs of the city of Ensley has needlessly increased the number of l city offices and recllessly raised the salaries of city officials in the face of existing financial conditions, and, "Whereas. such unwise action has all ready resulted in a large and steadily in |. creasing deficit which. under present con ditions, must inevitably result In in creased taxation or municipal bankruptcy spext year, and.
 "Whereas Greater Birmingham will mitigate the unfortunate excess of our city politics (which results largely from the peculiar and unusual conditions ex isting in Ensley), and leave the citizens of Ensley more time for business, and,
 Whereas, outside of special interests and some selfish officeholders a large ma jority of our citizens certainly favor Greater Birmingham. and,
 "Whereas, there are many other reasons and substantial benefits to be obtained from such a consolidation. while the uti- mate disadvanta ges will be very few and slight. if any at all, "Be it resolved by the Ensley board of trade, That Greater Birmingham will pro mote our welfare and it is to the best interest of Ensley to be included in the greater city
 That it would be unfair, undemocratic and contrary to all sense of right to arbitrarily exclude Ensley from the man. | fold and manifest benefits of the greater l city, while admitting our adjoining sister cities of North Birmingham and Pratt l City; and in building the great city it 1 would be absolutely indefensfble not to | treat all the suburban cities exactly | alike.
 That we commend the public utter ! ance of the governor of Alabama when l he declared that the omission of Ensley from the former King bill was such arbitrary discrimination that he would 1 not have signed the fofmer King bill If l it could have been legally amended so as to include Ensley and treat all the f, suburban towns alike
 i; That as the fate of the great city rests at last in the hands of the legis- ] lature of Alabama we earnestly urge every member thereof to reserve his de- cision until the cause of Greater Bir- mingham is regularly submitted for final i; hearing on its merits.
 1 ''That we hereby appeal to the patriot ism of the press and people of our state to aid us in building city which will be a future credit to all of Alabama and the metropolis of the south."
 The resolutions were unanimously adopted read
 | T. J. Kennamer was the next speak | CT. In the course of his address Mir. Kennamer proposed the name of Capt. Romaine Boyd as @ candidate for the l legislature to succeed Dr. Lovelady. This proposition met with hearty reception