The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-24
R )USING MEETING
 OF BUSINESS LEAGUE
 TO REVIEW THE YEAR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE H)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE k) ---~~~~-------------- -------------~---------- hours to as much as six hours. There are but two schedules allowing less than four hours, and an effort Is being made to have these changed so as to give more time here between trains.
 f. Low rates were secured for the state fair and a number of trade bringing con ventions.
 D. Has established a refund bureau for refund of railroad fares of out-of-town shoppers. This bureau has brought in a. large volume of trade, is steadily growing in favor, and has been used as a pattern for similar bureaus in number of other cities.
 6. Has given most of our members more specific newspaper advertising than they could have bought with the amount they subscribe as members.
 r. Has Gin the past two years) brought here over $2,00O00O of new trade, at an approximate cost of about six-tenths of 1 per cent.
 8. Has made our members immune from solicitations for subscriptions to conven- tions, state fairs, etc., and in this way saved each member decidedly more than his membership fee.
 g. We have promoted the "home trade" spirit among the people of Birmingham? IT. this we have had the hearty co-opera- ton of the Chamber of Commerce and the local press. This movement is still being pushed vigorously.
 Any one of the more important items of work mentioned above are worth to our city's trade many times the cost of keep ing up the league since It's work began.
 What We should Do
 i. Continue the same spirit of fellow ship and cooperation among the mer- chants that has been engendered. This cooperation not only helps trade, but helps develop the individual merchants and firms.
 We can, without being unreasonable in our demands, gradually improve the splendid accommodation schedules we now have on all the railroads, and get better connections with connecting lines, and thus further extend Birmingham's trade territory.
 We hope to get stop-overs on all rail- road tickets sold via this point.
 We should give such assistance to the next state fair as to make it even better than the very successful one held here in October last.
 We will protect our members against all undeserving advertising schemes.
 With larger membership and the in creasing income it would bring, we can conduct an advertising campaign that will cover a larger field and more thoroughly than heretofore.
 We should either increase our member ship to take in a larger number of firms, or the membership should be limited and the organization made a close corporation with view to protecting and helping its members in ways not now attempted. <ANe should maintain a rest room for out-of-town shoppers and encourage them to use 1t.
 We should inaugurate parcel check system at our rooms where purchases of out-of-town shoppers could be assembled for their convenience.
 In conclusion we are progressing along practical conservation lines. The league has become real factor in developing our city's trade. Birmingham from its geographical location, its great natural resources, and its splendid railroad fa- cilities is unquestionably destined to be- come not only large industrial center, but will, with the continued public spirited cooperation of It's merchants and other business men, become the recog nized retail trade center of Alabama and adjoining states.
 The following statements show the re- ceipts and disbursements for the year, to- gether with the distribution of the various items of expense, and also a statement of the refund bureau during the same period.
 DISBURSED.