The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-16
LAST 1911 MEETING
 OF CIVIC BODY Several Committees Make
 Reports GOOD ADVERTISING Chairman Weller States That City Is Being Kept in the Public Eye. F. C. Nunemacher of New
 York Speaks
GOOD ADVERTISING

Several committee reports disclosing the splendid progress made in the or ganization field, an address by F. c. Nunemacher, former president of the Louisville Board of Trade, and the creation of a new committee were fea- lures at the regular monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in their auditorium last evening. This was the closing session of the year of 1911 and afforded an excellent opportunity for the members to foresee what 1912 will mean to the association.
 A committee, the personnel of which is to be announced later, was author ized to arrange a series of excursions to the industries of this district for the business men and members or the Chamber of Commerce that the people of this city may become more familiar with the manufacturing concerns. The report from the special canal commit- tee announced that petition to Rep resentative G. w. Taylor was in read mess to be forwarded to the Alabama congressman and the convention com mittee gave the assurance of having the next annual meeting of the Ala bama Traction and Lighting companies In tlllS city during OClODeI, 1JlG.
 An instructive paper giving export import and industrial statistics of the South American cities and the advan- tages to result from the opening of the Panama canal was read by E. T. Shaw, who has recently returned from tour of that continent.
 President Richard w. Massey occu- pied the chair and after the reading of the minutes of the last meeting by Secretary J. B. Babb, the reports from the committee on railroads and trans- portations was introduced and adopt ed. H. w. Coffin, chairman of this committee, submitted the following data, among which is the information that the shoppers from the towns along the Central of Georgia line have been granted an additional hour to spend in this city by a new schedule that this committee has secured with that road.
 Transportation Report
 "Your committee since the last meet ing attended the hearing by the board of examiners from the interstate com merce commission, charged with the investigation of the long and short haul clause. The hearing was on the application of the railroads for relief from its provisions. The question is so involved that the committee deemed it better not to offer any objection to the applications of the railroads be- cause there are so many features of the long and short haul clause which are of doubtful benefit and believing In the fairness and wisdom of the com mission so much, we felt that Bir mingham's interests would not be in- jured by a decision one way or an- other.
 Prior to the hearing before the ex- aminers your committee through the freight bureau of the Merchants and Manufacturers association called con- ference, meeting with the traffic off | cials of the lines entering Birming
 ham for the purpose of getting their views and their explanations of the
 various rates applying to and from this district in violation of the fourth sec | tion.
 "One of the chief traffic officials of | the largest line serving Birmingham | explained the matter in a very clear | and fair manner so that our action | before the board was largely influenced | by his explanations.
 we understand that an examination of l railroads from the fourth section. known as the long and short haul clause, is
 only to be of a general nature, and does | not, as we understood 1t, apply to ex-
 empting roads from individual rates | which are of themselves discriminatory, | or which operate in establishing adjust | ments that are unequal between places. | In other words, if a rate in violation of
 the long and short haul clause discrimi-
 hates against Birmingham, the railroads | under their application do not become im- | mune from attack before the commission.
 We beg leave to report also that we | co-operated with the citizens of Dora in
 their protest against the discontnuance | of stops at that point of trains Nos 105
 and 106. The protest was effective. "We also beg leave to report that our | long continued negotiations for a schedule
 on the Central of Georgia that would | permit more hours of shopping in Bir-
 mlngham for those living along that line
 within the Birmingham territory, was | partially successful and and that over an | hours time has been added to the shop | ping period each day in Birmingham for
 the Central of Georgia patrons. Respect | fully submitted, I'll. W. COFFIN" Good Advertising
 The advertising committee, with T. A. | Weller, chairman, reporting, stated that | the most favorable advertising they had | on record for the past month was the | fact that the January issue of the Survey would contain a 200 page article on Bir-
 mingham and that the advance copies
 of this, telling of the citys shortcomings
 also, gives a most creditable account of
 the city. He further reported that other
 magazines had been furnished with ma
 terial regarding Birmingham which would | be compiled into readable stories that
 would advertise the district at no cost whatever to the Chamber of Commerce. | The proposed civic electric sign to sup plant the Trade in Birmingham" sign ! that now tops the Chamber of Commerce
 building has been placed before the fi- | nance committee for their approval and ] the appropriation of the $500O necessary | to erect this.
 | John W. Sibley in the absence of the l chairman of the Underwood banquet com mittee, stated that this had been one of the greatest events ever given in Bir-
 mingham and while not held for that purpose, earned a degree of publicity for the city. The chairman of the travelling
 mems banquet, Robert w. Ewing, sub
 mitted a statement that the money spent | in this dinner was well spent as there | will hereafter be as many boosters of | Birmingham as were present there and
 the trade area of this city will be greatly | increased.
 | The following report made by Oscar | c. Turner, chairman of the convention committees:
 Convention Committee