The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-20
Question Freely Discussed at Furniture Dealers >
 Smoker Last Night
BARNETT STRIKES
 POPULAR KEYNOTE
Peace Methods Will be Applied First and Effort Made to Settle Cues tion Without Long Politi-
 cal Fight

A committee representing every civic organization in Birmingham will be appointed to formulate plans for do- ing away with the commissary sys- tenn in the event that it is proved to zations that such system is an evil to Birmingham
 Such committee was authorized at 9 meeting of representative business men at the smoker given by the Bir- mfngham Furniture Dealers associa- ton at the Tutwiler last night. As a beginning the following committees part of the central committee: Dr. J. H. Finder and George McCleery from the Board of Trade; J. B. Shropshire and Frank Wood from the Retail Grocers and Butchers association, and Harry White from the Clothiers' asso- citation.
 The men appointed at the meeting will call upon other civic organiza- tions and explain to them the evils of the commissary system as they see 1t, with a view to furnishing such enlightenment as will lead to the ap- pointment of committees from all the civic bodies in Birmingham.
 A PEACE PROJECT
 While practically every man present at the meeting last night expressed himself as in favor of the abolition of the commissary system, it was the Sense of the meeting that it would be better to launch the campaign as a peace project, and in the event such methods failed to fight the interests behind the commissary system.
 c. w. Green of the Furniture Deal CTS association presided over the meet ing Among those who spoke were Frank Willis Barnett, Frank F. Glass; T. H. Motion, J. B. Shropshire, Charlie Miller, c. w. Green, Louis Pizitz. Ar lie Barber, M. Aland, Dr. J. H. Finder, Bert Throckmorton and others.
 Mir Motion when called upon early in the meeting for speech decladed that he was open to conviction, but that he would have to be shown where the commissary system was wrong. Before the close of the meeting he declared that he had become a con- vert to the cause.
 Louis Pizitz expressed the belief that if a representative committee will go to George Gordon Crawford, pr esidAnt of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company, and show him the evil that the commissary is to the Birmingham district, he will abol- ish it. Speaking more generally, MT. Pizitz declared that there is an ex- treme lack of cooperation in Bir- mingham, and that this Is, in great measure, responsible for the condi- tions that are said to exist among the mercantile interests today.
 STRIKES POPULAR KEYNOTE
 Frank Willis Barnett, associate edi- tor of The Age-Herald, struck a pop ular keynote when he suggested that peace methods be applied, if possible, in bringing about the desired results, and that political fight be avoided.
 q am more than pleased at the even temper of you gentlemen" he said. 1T am glad that you have pitched your discussion on such high plane. I am glad you furniture dealers had judg- ment enough not only to get behind this movement yourselves, but to call in others.
 q want to see the Birmingham spirit grow in Birmingham. I want to see 1t become so strong that no matter which newspaper starts a movement, the other two papers will be glad to fall in behind it when convinced that it is movement for the good of the community"
 Referring to a conference of busi- ness men held with George Gordon Crawford recently, at which time the endeavored to show MT. Crawford the evils of the commissary system, MT. Barnett said: q believe that at that conference of such a big industrial man with prominent busi- nes men was formed a fraternal spirit that can be extended, if not to do away with the commissary system en- tirely to rob it of its worst evils"
 It was stated by the various speak CTS that not only the employees of the corporations are supporters of the commissary, but that the trade extends to a wide circle. Practically every man who spoke expressed himself as be- ing opposed to the operation of the commissaries, if not altogether, as re- gards certain phases of their opera tton.
 STTEn EOR