The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-23


 only be allowed to handle packages orig mating on their routes. In other words that merchants of this or any other city could only use such system for dis tributing packages along routes radiating from their city, or receive packages coming over such routes. This would prevent the mail order houses of the north and east crowding out the smaller merchants, of the south.
 Optimism Prevails
 The entire trend of the meeting was optimistic and much enthusiasm pre- vailed. In opening the meeting M. V. Joseph, who is vice president presided in ident said:
 f'We have in the less than three years of our existence as an organization se- cured more concessions from the railroads than such organizations in other cities have obtained in five to ten years.
 I've have brought, or helped bring here several trade bringing conventions during the year, notably the National Good Roads congress, the Child's Labor con- gross. and the Alabama Grand Lodge of Knights of Pythias The music festival iftSl SpIiilep lut ooulhclll oOuilCl and other gatherings during the year were also helpful. We have secured the Alabama State Educational association for its annual meeting here in the spring, also the Alabama Good Roads association, and are working to secure several other good conventions for Birmingham.
 Probably the most important matter handled was the Alabama state fair, which was so successful in every way. It advertised Birmingham far and near brought large crowds from Alabama and adjoining states, and resulted in a very large volume of trade. The outlook is bright for this years fair. It is a most
 valuable asset to our city's trade and now ranks among the most important fairs and expositions of the country. It was financed last year and the year previous at practically no expense to our business interests, other than their membership subscriptions to the Business Mems league
 New President
 Secretary Chaffee's report, which fol- lows, was heartily commended by all present:
 Birmingham, Ala, January o 1912. "To President and Members of the Bus mess Mems League, Birmingham. Ala. "Gentlemen: In submitting this, the third annual report of your organization, Il should be pleasing to glance backward over the years record. For while the | year was not so active in other sec | tions in many lines of trade, Birmingham has much to congratulate itself upon the volume of its retail business Some 1 months of the year were not as active | here as desired, owing to the low price
 of cotton, stu there was a splendid spring and early summer business, and 1 the valume of trade was quite satisfac- | tory during the late fall months and during the holiday season. Taken as a whole, Birmingham's retail trade for the year 1911 shows a healthy increase. Most | of the increase was from out of town and | a very large proportion of if was due directly to the w6rk of the Business Mems | league. . "Brmingham's statistics show slfiostan- tial and very gratifying increases in bank clearings, postoffice receipts, the number of cars of freight handled, the number of passengers carried by the local street
 cars, and particularly in the railroad passenger traffic in and out of the city. The increase in the number of out of town passengers brought to Birmingham during the year is estimated at about r per cent over the year previous.
 While our league cannot claim all the credit for this increase, it Is thought
 that very large proportion of the in crease in the out of town traffic is due to Ihe aggressive advertising of your Organization.
 i've would again emphasize that the league is purely a business mems organi- zation. 1t is maintained for the better ment of your business, but its work has continued to indirectly benefit the entire city. Every Collar of new money attract ed to Birmingham benefits every one of it's citizens The benefit may not be di- rect, but it Is none the less certain. The more we increase Birmingham's out
 of town trade, the more goods our mer- chants sell the more money our banks
 handle, the more business our insurance and real. estate agents do, and. In fact. the more business 1t brings either directly