The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-11


 co mpulsory to patronize home industry in the letting of all contracts, state, coun- ty and municipal. all things being equal.
 The secretary's report goes more into detail regarding the progress of manu- fscturing in the district during the past year. so it is not necessary for us to re- capitulate in this report.
 "The outlook is most encouraging, and we commend to our successors diligent persistence in the carrying out of the policy initiated by the present manufac- turing committee.
 Respectfully submitted, JOHN w. SHELBY, Chairman, "W. D. TINES. JAMES WEISEL,
 "J. D. ROSENBERGER, "B. B. MARTIN,
 Manufacturing Committee" Advertising Committee
 The advertising committe reported as follows:
 Your advertising committee, imme- diately upon its appointment took up the question of municipal advertising. After an extensive and thorough in lvestigation of the feasibility and ad- visibility of municipal advertising, ls Iconcluded that campaign of vigorous, judicious advertising for Birmingham would be most profitable, and asked for an appropriation of $12,000 for this pur- pose. Notwithstanding your committee had formulated what 1t thought to be effective methods, nothing along this line could be Accomplished as the ap- propriation was never received. Your committee made very credita- ble exhibition at the Ohio valley Expo- sition in August. by means of views of the manufacturing and industrial dis tricts of this city, which were explained by lecturer before very large crowds. and which, no doubt. was the best form | of advertising.
 .Through the courtesy and at the eH-, pense of the Jovians who met here soon after the official announcement of the census 5O0 900 copies of a circular were | distributed calling attention to Bir- imingham and it's phenomenal growth l In population.
 sThe main accomplishment of your committee was the census jubilee, held l in this city November 22 and 23. It Is unnecessary to more than briefly refer I to the results obtained from that cele- bration. The total amount collected was $6182; the total amount expended ls544016, leaving a balance of $741.S4, or liz per cent of the amount collected which was returned to the subscribers. 1 It was the consensus or oplnioh .na. the jubilee was a pronounced success | first in the large crowds which assem- bled here to participate in the ceie- lbration, and the tremendous aovertis- Ing given the city of Birmingham throughout the United States, many or the papers throughout the country giv- ing extensive notices of Birmingham marvellous increase in population.
 Your committee has had printed and circulated various pieces of small advertising matter and regretted thas | 1t had not the funds at It's disposai l for the systematic campaign or puphc- lity which it had planned.
 Respectfully submitted, I - HARD w. MASSEY, Chairman. Advertising Committee. Real Estate Committee r,a raa, estate committee reported as l follows:
 .The Birmingham Real Estate Agents nave recently organized with good mem bership and live committee on new
 members and 1t is hoped that practically | all the agents of Birmingham will )oln lthe association.
 members of the association, not no" members of the Chamber of Commerce, i to become members of this chamber, ana
 to become closely affiliated with and work under the direction of this chamber pe-
 lievine that so united that the benefit to both the associations will be largely in- l creased.
 "There has not been any special de- | do any work, but whatever we can do the lChamber of Commerce can feel free 70
 call on the agents and ask their cooper l ation in all matters that tend to the up-
 building of Birmingham. 1 Committee on Transportation
 The committee on transportation report ed as follows:
 s.In making its report for the past year your committee on transportation find that this period has been a very un- usual one as to question of railroad rates and their adjustments, due to com paratively recent act of Congress regu-
 lating rates. the full interpretation or which Is still an unsettled question. with such a condition existing, the
 railroads are hardly in position to con sider important changes in matters or transportation nor do we believe they will be able to do so until there Is defin- 1 ite ruling on the law by the railroad com mission.
 with these facts existing the results
 accomplished through the traffic bureau | of the Merchants and Manufacturers as- sociation have been such as to emphasize 1 the importance of this branch of your l Chamber of Commerce. All of the mat l ters between this association and the ratl- l roads have been handled only in most l friendly manner, the strict business feat l ure of the, situation and comparative | rates with other points forming the par | amount issue. ts
 Your committee believes that if 1t had accomplished nothing more for the public good than the establishment of prac- | ticable medium for adjusting differences
 between railroads and shippers, 1t would have performed a most valuable service.
 But in creating the freight bureau 1t has done far more. Through this bureau con- ferences between shippers and carriers have been held which have resulted In | specific benefit to the whole community. l Law suits have resulted in specific benefit | to the whole community. Law suits have been avoided by bringing together ship | per and carrier, and impartially setting l forth the rights of each. Claims have l heen withdrawn from the courts and set
 dement's effected by applying tariff infor-
 nation and traffic rules of which the
 shippers knew nothing of
 Plates are quoted to shippers from
 complete and up-to-date tarin files, kept
 in the office of the association. which en-
 ables a merchant or manufacturer in
 making up his price list to show not only
 the price, but the freight rate his cus-
 toner will have to pay. It has aided the | carrier by discouraging claims of doubt full merit, and properly preparing claims I of certain merit, in such way as to
 meet the requirements of the claim de- partments, and relieve the necessity of 1 much delay and useless correspondence.
 Through this bureau more than $4O,00O
 of different claims have been adjusted l and settled for it's members during the past year, in many instances disputed
 construction of rates, and rules growing out of such claims have been settled. thus