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

< all the votes cast: < ' For President-Rchard w. Mas > s> sey.
 < For Vice President-A. H. Ford .
 > For Second Vice President-Frank :
 . Nelson, Jr.
 . For Trustees for Two Years .
 . w. P. G. Harding, F. M. Jackson, .
 < F. Y. Anderson. .
 < For Directors for Two Years-E. <
 ' N. Culloin, NJ. Y. Joseph, Herman .
 . Beck. G. B. Mccormack, J. B. Gib- .
 ' son, W. N. Malone. .
 ' Signed: e4.
 M H. CRITTENDEN, .
 WARREN BARNETT, .
 JEROME A. TUCKER, .
 % Committee. q
 Richard w. Massey, the newly elected
 president of the Chamber of Commerce,
 was inaugurated last night and began his
 administration by pledging his best eff
 forts toward making bigger, broader
 and betttr Birmingham.
 As the first policy of his administra-
 tion he placed the location of small man
 ufacturing industrial plants and stated
 that at the next meeting he will intro-
 duce his plan for best increasing the num-
 Der of these plants during the year.
 Second in importance he considers the
 securing of farmers for the Birmingham
 district; third, municipal advertisng fourth, a milion-dollar hotel, and fifth,
 a water way to the gulf.
 MT. Massey sets before him as his ann hition to place these five great civic
 movements well to the fore before the
 year ends In his address President Mas
 sey said:
 ITO the Members of the Chamber of Commerce.:
 q appreciate most highly the honor you nave conferred upon me in electing me to the presidency of the Chamber of
 Commerce It is, indeed. great honor
 to head the chief commercial organization of a city-especially is this true of the commercial body of such a city as Bir- IT ngham, where it's influence is far
 reaching, and its power for the welfare of the city so great. I am not unmind- full of the high standard of efficiency
 which has been set by the gentleman who
 has preceded me- and I realize that the
 position carries with 1t responsibilities of
 a very exacting character. I realize fully that I must give generously of my time much thought and much devotion to the interests of the chamber if would meet the requirements. g.a.a.. we have here a gerat city, one in | which there is much work to be done. We have received a magnificent advertise
 ment in the official census reports, and Birmingham is now in the lmelight as never before.
 "As the recognized leader of civic move ments it will devolve upon the chamber sc lead to successful termination dur ins the ensuing year many vital issues To l&1 rt of r11nz that in a measure I am adding to the sum total of Birmngham's greatness, it's material prosperity and it's moral up-lift- ing will be indeed ample compensation for me. I shall therefore say to you as briefly as possible what my policy shall be, believing that accomplishment IS vastly better than glittering promises small Manufacturing Industries .'Birmingham's greatest need today, in my opinion, is the small manufacturing plant-the employing in diversified ways both skilled and unskilled labor. To this need, primarily, I shall direct my efforts While iron coal and steel will always be the backbone of industrial Birming- ham, conditions here are excellent fof manufacturers in other lines. When years of depression In the metal markets comes-as come they must. our diversi- fled interests will maintain our commer- .'To merely announce to the world that we will welcome industrial plants is to offer nothing more than is being offered practically, by every town throughout the country. To attract and secure these Industries requires organized and well di- rected effort. Yet it has been fully dem onstrated that when proper methods are pursued, factories can be secured The chairman of the location of new indus tries will present for the cor iteration of this body at it's next meeting plan to which I have given careful thought and consideration, and which recommends It. self to me for it's feasibility If the chamber approves of the plans-and be- heve it will---it will be my policy to CO., operate most heartily with this commit
 tee toward bringing about practical re- suits.
 Farm Movement
 s'It shall be my policy to foster the movement so auspiciously begun by my predecessor along the lines of securing more truck farmers for the Birmingham district. One cause of the high cost of living in this community is the excessive price charged for farm products most of which are shipped in here from south Alabama and surrounding states. paying heavy tribute to the express companies. With more truck farmers we not only se- cure desirable class of citizens, but in a large measure reduce the cost of living. In this connection, if every owner of d vacant lot would give some one the privi- lcge of utilizing the lot for garden pur- poses until such time as needed for building there would be a vast area soon converted into growing and productive gardens, that now remain unsightly un- productive and often insanitary.
 Municipal Advertising
 q have been an ardent believer in mu-
 ricipal advertising, when done judicious- ly It has been demonstrated beyond the possibility of question that cities are as susceptible of profitable publicity as any thing else It is only question, there fore, of how, when and to what extent should we advertise. These problems I have entrusted to most competent com-
 mttee. who. if given the funds for tha, purpose, will herald Birmingham's great ness from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to the gulf.
 Million Dollar Hotel
 Tt takes no statement from me to con- vince you gentlemen of the imperative need in this city of a modern, fireproof hotel. The city's reputation has sui fered in the past and will suffer in the
 future still more, if we do not awake from our lethargy and take aggressive and active steps toward this consuinma- ticn The proftableness of such an in
 vestment does not admit of argument l am informed from a reliable source that
 one of the strongest hotel interests of
 New York stands ready to lease for d
 term of years a hostelry at s75O00 per
 year, or 71s per cent on $1,00O,000.
 ITO say that we cannot build such a
 hotel in Birmingham is to admit that inf fo to