The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-17
REUNION NOTABLE IN ITS EFFECT ON
 CITY CITIZENSHIP
Commissioner Ward Points Out How Valuable It Is to Birmingham
 Spirit
Birmingham has gotten together

Birmingham has gotten together. This was the idea that prevailed yes terday as it dawned on the citizens that the present Confederate reunion was q huge success-and had been made so by the cooperative efforts of Birmingham as whole.
 Mayor Commissioner George B. Ward |stated yesterday that the reunion was the best thing that could have possibly happened in Birmingham at this par ticular time. It brought the feeling of confidence that big things could be handled adequately and revived the ann bitions of the past to make Birming- ham the convention city of the south.
 There is no question:" said Commis- sioner Ward, but that the Confederate reunion is huge success. In fact, it is a greater success than all of us an- ticipated. It has been made so by the CO operation of every civic body, and the citizens as whole. It means that we have at last gotten together to do things for the betterment of the com munity.
 Birmingham is a grNat city and made up of very hospitable people. This hospitality is now being exploited to the fullest extent by the thousands of visitors and the venerable veterans. But we have not failed, we are on the job-from the Boy Scouts to the club ladies who stand from morning until nightfall serving lunches, from the big business men, the members of the Chamber of Commerce and other civic bodies who are unselfishly giving up their time to make the reunion sue cess and finally to the young men of the city-the Sons of Veterans, who are truly giving the hundreds of young lady visitors the time of their lives. It is a gala occasion and it is made so by the spirit of hospitality of the good people of the city.
 "Of course there have been few only of petty nature. Some of the merchants who had not been fully inoculated with the get together serum, took exceptions at the various stands on the streets, and said that it made the reunion ap- pear as if the whole affair was a car nival We replied to this that it was our desire to give Birmingham the ap- pearance of a great big carnival. The reunion is not funeral--it is happy occasion, when old friends can greet each other and recount the stirring deeds of old. What we want is to liven up the old town and make everybody get busy and hustle.
 ssAs to the executive part of the city government and the reunion, every thing is running smoothly. From the police department there is nothing but excellent reports, as with the aid of the Boy Scouts the officers are re- lieved of much work.
 "We issued some instructions few days ago that no undue raise in prices would be allowed by anyone during the reunion and we are very much grati- fled to ascertain that no prices have been raised. The hotel and restaurant keepers in fact are going out of their way to make things easy for all vis- itors-and this means the making of friends for Birmingham-frien that will come back again.
 "On the whole the citizens should be gratified at the success of their ef- forts. They are doing a great thing for the city-and the Confederate vet erans and visitors will remember this as the greatest reunion of them all. And it is all due to the splendid CO., operation of the city as whole"