The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-12
CLOSER UNION IS
WANTED BY BOARD
Resolutions to Be Presented
to Civic Chamber
MAY MOVE QUARTERS
Under Resolution Board of Trade
Would Be Division of Chamber of
Commerce-Complete Merger
Is Planned

In order TO form a union through
which there could be absolute co-opera-
ton between the two institutions in
working for a better and bigger Bir-
mingham," a resolution were adopted
by the Birmingham Board of Trade
yesterday and will be submitted to the
board of directors of the Chamber of
Commerce Friday afternoon.
President ]. e. Shelby of the Board
of Trade will present the resolutions to
the chamber directors and it Is already
known that they will be accepted by
the body and the union between the
two institutions which has been under
way for more than year, will be COM
plete. Robert W. Ewing was chairman
of the committee which drafted the
resolutions of consolidation as adopted
yesterday afternoon at the special
meeting called by President Shelby.
Division of Chamber
The provisions of the contract or
resolution drawn up are that the mem
bership of the Board of Trade becomes
a division of the Chamber of Commerce,
supplanting the present local trade
committee of the latter orsani-
zation that the entire membership of
the Board of Trade becomes members
of the chamber without any additional
dues and that they are to remain men,
bers of both the Board of Trade and
the chamber thereafter, providing they
pay their regular chamber membership
dues. 1t is further provided that the
Board of Trade Is to elect its own Of
fcers and carry on it's own work, but
do both in cooperation with the en-
tire chamber; that a certain sum be
appropriated by the chamber for the
carrying on of this work eaclf year;
that the board elects it's own members,
the only provision being that they
must be chamber members; that the
general secretary of the chamber be-
comes ex-officio general secretary of
the board; that the offices of the
board be removed from the First Ma
tional bank to the Chamber of Com
merce headquarters
This movement for merger between
the chamber and the Board of Trade
started here several months ago and
many were of the belief that it had
ended successfully. The resolution
yesterday, however, when it is accepted
by the chamber directors, will be the
first actual consolidation between the
two civic organizations. President Shell
by and other officers of the board Were
very enthusiastic after the meeting yes
terday over the future prospects for
the organization under the new ar
Meeting Lively
The emeting of the board was rather
lively at times, there being some OBJ
lection to the plan, but everything
ended peacefully. The meeting was
executive. The membership of the
board now stands at between rs and
100 and is composed of the retail mer-
chants and business men Of the city.
for membership are care
fully considered by the officers be-
fore a new member is taken In. By
the contract now adopted new memb ers
in the future must be members of the
chamber.
In additions the board yesterday
heard the report of the committee on
street paving and drafted resolutions
on encouraging the organization of
local concert band and the holding of
public band concerts in the city.