The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-24

Adjoining States" While the result of this scheme justified the expenditure, it did not come up to our expectations and clearly shows that the rural press is alive to the value of it's space.
 Cooperation of Press
 The league is much indebted to the local newspapers, The Age-Herald, the Ledger and the News, for their most thorough cooperation and support given our work. They have all been most generous in reading notices and space and have ever welcomed an opportunity to help us ITO Bring More Trade to Birmingham" Our | records show that during the year these papers have given us gratis an aggregate of 1S,16S lines of reading notices We have paid for display advertising as follows:- 1 In local papers, 29SS inches, and in out-of- town papers, 50oS inches.
 Conventions nnd state Fairs
 We have entirely or in cooperation with other bodies. brought here and financed or helped finance a number of real trade bringing conventions, among the most important of which might be mentioned the Alabama State Educational association. the state lodge of Odd Eel | lows, the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- | gineers, the Confederate Veterans re- | union and the census jubilee, and this | without burden to or contributions from our membership.
 | The Alabama State Fair, held here Oc- | tober 6 to 15 and which was conducted l under the auspices of the Business Mems league was most gratifying in it's results. | It was the most successful fair or expos- | tion ever held in Alabama, it's attendance was over 100000, a large proportion of which was from out-of-town, and it Is estimated it left here from $50O,ooo to s75O. GOO. It might be well to add that it re- ceved practically aid in contributions and that it's receipts decidedly exceeded its cost.
 The fact that organization like ours can handle the State Fair as an adjunct, that it can do it safely. sanely and suc- cessfully, and make 1t real trade bringer, Is we'll shown in the very suc- cessful state fairs held under our au- spices during the past two years Both of these fairs. the one of 1909 and 1910, were financed at very little cost to the mer- chants, and the one of 1910 was in every respect the most successful fair ever held in the state.
 Refund Bureau
 The refund bureau. for the refund of railroad fares of out-of-town shoppers coming a certain distance and purchasing a certain amount. has been continued with gratifying results. This bureau is
 
 members of the league as share in it's benefits. These members refund their pro rata share of the railroad fare of shoppers, the money for which is merely advanced by the league and is repaid ! by the merchants each week. The bu- l read is not in any way burden to suchE members of the league as do not share in it's benefits.
 The work of the league has been con- ducted without considerable sacrifice of time and personal work on the part of your president and board of directors To them, and their cooperation and their en- engagement of your secretary, belongs the credit for the results secured
 While the Birmingham spirit is grow ing, there are still a number of merchants in our city who remain aloof from any l movement that costs them few dollars, though they share in the benefits that accrue. However, every city has the burden of such people to bear, and let us hope they will continue to grow fewer in Birmingham.
 | We waged a very successful campaign, in the "shop early" movement and it's good results were shown in the large amount of early shopping done during the holidays.
 Birmingham has enjoyed very sue cessful year. Our merchants all express | themselves as genuinely satisfied with lHtlT ldll dHQ 1n1lStI1dS trade. While the iron industry has sagged during the last few months. still the beautiful food crops made In this state and the good | prices received for farm products pres ages good retail trade during 1911. With an increased demand for iron and steel, which many expect in the early future, 1911 should prove a record breaker in our citys trade. -
 Birmingham's sudden leap into the l ranks of the bipr cities of or,r h had and will have the influence of help ing us to widen our trade territory. The Birmingham hablt'' has grown to such sn extent that the out-of-town shoppers enjoy coming here to trade Nature has 1 made Birmingham the natural and logi- cal center of large territory, the rail- roads are generously cooperating with us, and 1t Is up to the business men of Birmingham to continue to work as they have during the past two years, to make our city the real trade metropolis of the south It would be easy to indulge in flights of fancy and optimistic prophecies of what the future holds out for us but as this is a report of a business organi- zation conducted for specific trade pur- poses, such temptation has been avoided and this is presented merely as a report of what has been accomplished and of what seems reasonably assured for the l future.
 For the benefit of the practical business man. particularly the retail merchant, whether a member of your league or not the following might be cited as a brief I summary of some of the things the league | has accomplished in the less than two years of it's existence:
 1. It has secured weekend rates or spe- | cial two-day rates on all railroads here | except one. The weekend rates tickets on sale Saturday and Sunday and good to return to selling point up to midnight of the following Monday, which were put on as an experiment. arc now prac- tcally permanent.
 2. Stop-overs on all tourist tickets sold | via this point.
 | 3. We have secured such rearrangements | of accommodation train schedules that ample midday hours afforded out-of- town shoppers for trading in --.rmng- ham. These schedules are arranged that out-of-town shoppers can leave home at a reasonable morning hour. do their shopping here, and return to their abode before late night hour The time here between trains varies from about three | | CONTINUED ON PAGE D