The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-27


the club and that was something greatly
to be hoped for.
by interesting the ladies' said the
president, general interest will be .ex-
cited to such an extent that the deficit
we have been mourning will be turned
into profit 1t has been intimated that
the club should erect a six or seven
story building. Such venture, l think,
would be unwise An additional story
certainly should serve us well for five,
six or seven years.
Calls on Mr.. Percy
On taking his seat the president asked
Mr.. Percy to address the meeting. In
starting out Mr.. Percy said thar he had
always felt a special interest in the club
and that the time had come when 1t
should progress.
"A successful club said Mr.. Percy,
must be as progressive as successful
merchant or a successful hotel. We must
broaden the field of interest SO that the
club will appeal more to our wives We
must all realize that Birmingham is get
ting to be a great big city. More and
more men are coming here who are club
men and we must have something to
offer them. Today the Country clup is the
social center of Birmingham. 1t has been
steadily progressing. 1t is essentially So
cial The Southern club has been stand
ing STILL
Mr.. Percy stressed the idea that the
great future of Birmingham was certain.
He said 1t seemed to him that a great
mistake would be made in patching up
the present building ''While we are do
ing it," he continued, Tets do it right.
Let's have brand new building. This
site is worth $125,000 to S150,00o. We can
put up a six story building. we can
finance IT, We have a superb location In
the business center. We could rent the
first floor for shops and the rentals would
go long way in taking care of interest.
We are fortunate in having banker for
our president and banker who was never
afraid of anything in all his life He can
finance this proposition.' In order to test
the question Mr.. Percy offered this reso-
luton:
..That it is the sense of the meeting
that the officers of the club take up the
question and investigate the advisability
of erecting a six story building
Before that resolution could be put there
was a manifest desire on the part of sew
eral members to be heard The chair rec
ognized City Commissioner Culpepper
Exum.
Nj. Exum Speaks
| Il concur In the remarks made by
Mr. Percy" said Mr.. Exum. a have
never seen an old building, after you
get through making improvements on
| it that has been satisfactory When |
came to Birmingham / saw things started
along the lines of economy but GER
tain kind of economy has proved to be
hurtful. We have reached the point In
Birmingham when We can do almost any
thing and make a success of it. Now is
| the time to do something on large
SCALE"
MIR. Weatherly Next Speaker
City Commissioner James Weatherly
was the next speaker. II do not know
that / am competent to discuss this ques-
ton of improving the club building said
Mr. Weatherly. Il am not familiar enough
with the financial basis which should be
considered. Personally, / am rather op-
posed to the idea of an extensive invest
ment at this time. We can afford to
wait and take the full value of the club
site. 1 do not see how we would lose
anything by waiting. l am in favor OF
conservatism I have recently learned
what rocky road one has to travel in
trying to uproot static conditions Mr..
Weatherly spoke eloquently of the Sos1.n-
ern club as conservative institution.
He said that it was a clean, emphatic
institution: that all through the proni-
bition days it had stood for law and
order; that it had never violated fhe
law. He said that while this statement
might not have any direct relation to
the question under discussion he thought
it well to bring it out as bearing on
the prestige of the club. He held that
the character of building after all was
not material matter.
e. W. Barrett said that the members
ought not to consider cheap proposition
1.-THE time has come,'' he urged, ito make
this club attractive. We have about
two dances year and that is about all
in the way of social gayety. Those of
us who have sons-and most of us have
or hope to have-want them to become
members of this club. What is here
now for boy of 21 when he comes home
from college?
I'VE can build $4,000 club house.
Seventy-five thousand dollars could be
raised by distributing preferred stock to
members. There are 70 of us who would
take $1,000 piece. Let us have a club
here equal to anything in New York.
Pttsburg or any other great city. l
cordially indorse Mr.. Percy's proposition. ="
Mr.. Miller Speaks
NJ, L. Miller said that he came not
knowing just what was to be put before
the meeting. Il recognize the Importance
of getting out of the dry rot said Mr.
Miller Il am in favor of two propositions
being considered. The question of wheth-
er we should have new club building
or whether we should add to the. present
building but think this whole matter
should be referred back to the board that
they may take further time and then re-