The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
CANNON APPOINTED SECRETARY OF NEW CIVIC ASSOCIATION Well Known Man, Experi- enced in Civic Work, to
 Have Important Post BETTER FREIGHT RATE TO BE WORKED FOR Vigorous Membership Campaign to Be Launched at Once-Important
 Meeting to Be Held To-
 morrow Night

With the appointment of T. l.. Cannon as general secretary, and the authoriza- tion by the board of directors for the ap- pointment of a committee to work for equalization of steel rates in Birmingham, and a traffic committee to put forth ef- fort to obtain equalization of freight rates, the Birmingham Civic association is ready to wage a strong campaign for the bringing of small and diversified in- dustries to Birmingham.
 MT. Cannon was named general secre- tary of the association at a meeting of the board of directors yesterday after noon. His name was reported for election by the special committee in charge of this phase of the organization, and the nomination was unanimously acted upon.
 The special committee of which John E. Shelby is chairman, and which in ad- dition to it's work of selecting a secretary is in charge of plans for permanent head quarters, announces that deal will be closed within the next week for head quarters large enough to furnish offices for the association, and to afford place for the general meetings The selection VI MI. OdilllOI do SSCICtdIg, anu lHG dp- pointment of special committees will be approved al general meeting of the as sociation tomorrow night in Judge Pugh's s courtroom at the courthouse.
 FAMILIAR WITH WORK
 In making it's selection of a secretary the committee took especial pains to see that a man was secured who was thor oughly familiar with the phases of civic work, and who is not afraid to fight for Birmingham MT. Shelby says.
 MT. Cannon entered civic work more than 25 years ago. His first work was in Henderson, Ky, where he conducted a freight rate campaign, which resulted in the railroads building a special bridge over the river so that freight rates might be capitalized. From Henderson he went to Decatur, and from Decatur to Shelf field, where he was engaged in civic work He then went to St. Louis, where he re- mained for 21 years, working for good roads, conventions and other civic move ments national in scope.
 He came from St. Louis to Birming- ham, and has been living in this city two and a half years
 ''The only reason I am living here is because I think that Birmingham can be
  MT. Cannon. "All that we need is organ ization. There is no other city that has the possibilities of Birmingham, and we are going out to realize some of them.
 we hope to have 10000 members on the roster of our organization. There is no reason why we should not have this except one, and that is that the people of Birmingham are satisfied with conditions, and do not wish to be relieved from discriminatory freight rates and handicaps
 A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN
 We will institute vigorous campaign for members. Literature will be sent out all over the district, and speech making campaign will be conducted in every hall in Greater Birmingham. We want 10000 members, and we expect to get them
 At the meeting tomorrow night three special committees will be appointed, one to work with the steel people for the bet ter rates on steel in Birmingham; one to ask the public service commission for better rates between Birmingham and points on the Warrior river; a traffic committee to endeavor to find solution to the question of discriminatory freight rates in Birmingham. Other subcommit- tees to work with the traffic committee in forging it's work will probably be ap- pointed later The committee will en- deavor to make Birmingham a rate mak- ing point, going before the public service if necessary, and working with the railroads if the desired end may be, accomplished through the pursuance of such measures, according to MT. Cam non.