The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-04
Largely Attended Meeting
ing Is Held at Chamber
of Commerce
FINANCE COMMITTEE
WILL RAISE MONEY
Kettig Selects Men to Make Canvass.
Number of Other Arrangements
Are Made for the Fight for
the Reserve Bank

At one of the most largely attended
and enthusiastic meetings that have been
held at the Chamber OF Commerce for
sometime, the regional bank committee
with the heads of all the civic organiza-
tions, bankers and other business men of
the city, decided to begin Immediately a
whirlwind campaign to secure for Br-
mingham one of the regional bank pro.
vided for under the recently passed cur
reucy measure. A finance committee was
appointed to raise funds to carry on the
fight and this committee meets at IL
O'Clock this morning at the Chamber of
Commerce to discuss the best method to
pursue in order to secure a good sized
fund.
W. H. Kettig, chairman of the regional
bank committee presided at the meeting.
Mr.. Kettig said that Birmingham's )
chances daily appeared brighter and ex-
pressed the belief that this city would
win. He said, however, that hot cam
paign must be waged to accomplish that
end. and as the time is only about 10
days, it must be whirlwind campaign.
The finance committee is headed by M. F.
are Frank Nelson. Jr., John H. Frye, r.
A. Brown, w. n. Malone and w. Thorn
ton Estes. They will start a campaign
to secure the necessary fund to carry on
real campaign and will call upon busi-
ness men, banks. and other interested
parties. Subscriptions to fund may be
sent to the Chamber of Commerce.
Col Tom O. Smith. Webb w Craw-
nd bn / E.rt+a annointa1 "A <
a committee to interest bankers and cities
in Alabama and adjoining states in Bir-
mngham's behalf. This committee will
begin tour of Alabama as soon as possi-
BILE, going first to Montgomery. Mobile
and some of the leadEg Mississippi cities.
Culpepper Exum suggested that the
Chamber of Commerce send kilograms
to the various banks of Alabama solicit
ing their support Tor Birmingham and
asking them to make known their prefer
ence in the matter of a site for the de-
sired bank. His motion was unanimously
adopted by the meeting, and will be car
ried out today.
w. j. Adams, Oscar c. Turner and j.
d. Moore were appointed as a committee
to get the names of those who desire
to go over to Atlanta to be present at
the hearing According to the present
schedule the federal reserve board will
be in Atlanta about February Il, and will
remain until Saturday. February II. 1T Is
the hope of the local Chamber of Com
merce that Birmingham will be enabled to
present it's claims on the last day. Presi-
dent Harding of the chamber yesterday
| received telegram from Secretary Nc
Adoo notifying him that the committee
could not by any means stop over in
Birmingham. The regional bank commit
tee had never given up hope that the
committee would stop over here until the
receipt of the message. and great disap-
pointment manifested. However. it is
not believed that Birmngham's chances
are in any wise lessened because of the
fact that the hearing will be held in
Atlanta. and it is the intention of the
committee to bend its energies toward
winning.
1t is now the plan of the committee to
interest as many banks outside of Bir-
mingham and Alabama as possible. 1t
will make especial effort to induce
outside bankers to make the trip with the
Birmingham party to urge Birmingham s
claim upon the federal reserve board
Secretary Radcliffe of the Chamber of
Commerce will today mail post cards to
out of the town and state bankers, a
return card being attached to each.