The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-24

the expenditure of $1,600,000 for the construction of a fleet to be operated so strongly that Director General Me Adoo approved his report and the fleet will be ready for operation by Sep- tember l. 1919, according to the latest information at hand
 At government requests, no campaign was made to attract conventions, but invitations extended by the Chamber of Commerce in 1917, were accepted by four associations: The Electrochemical so- ciety, the National Association of Com missary Managers, the Alabama sunday School association and the Alabama Edu- cational association.
 REMARK ABLE ACHIEV EMENTS These achievements are remarkable considering the limited income of your Chamber of Commerce, and the small administrative organization which forms
 the office force. The Birmingham Cham
 Der of Commerce has never been as strong numerically or financially as the representative commercial organization
 of such q rapidly growing, important and progressive city as this should be. The administrative force upon which the sue cess of the organization largely depends has never numbered over four: A general manager. assistant to the general manager, a stenographer and porter or an office boy, and for the past two years there has been no assistant manager, ex- cent at intervals of a few months at a time. while for about four months of 1918, following MT. Everett's resignation,
 there was no general manager. PLANS FOR 1919 And now for the year ahead of us what should be done? This is a suggested programme for consideration by the membership:
 Thorough cooperation with the War rior river general committee, until the necessary terminals are built, physical connection with the river established, satisfactory freight rates made and the boats put in operation to Mobile and New Orleans. When that is done we | must give them freight in sufficient quantities to make the line pay. I Housing: We should address ourselves to this problem which is now retardins Birmingham's growth. Every inquiry re- ceived recently from industries seeking a location includes the question, what are your housing conditions?' Assisting returning soldiers and sail ors to find employment, especially those from Birmingham and Jefferson county. An auditorium One of Birmingham s greatest needs. A suggestion has been
 made that Victory building should be | erected as a memorial to the Birming- ham men who gave their lives for the 1 supreme cause Many cities are now at | work on such memorials Considerable l data on this subject is on file in our | office.
 | Alabama now has an opportunity to
 obtain government aid for permanen, highways to the extent of $2,000000 an
 nually for period of five years, pro-
 vided a like amount is furnished by the 1 state and counties. Bills authorizing
 bond elections for this purpose are to be
 presented at this session of the legisla-
 ture and should be strongly supported. l A convention bureau should be estab- l lished at the earliest possible date and
 permanently maintained as department i of our organization.
 | The Alabama Merchants association,
 which did not meet during 1918, owing
 to the war, should be revived this year A campaign should be vigorously prose
 cuted to obtain more advantageous tram
 schedules for Birmingham 1 This organization having established 1 the food preparedness bureau and par | ticipated very actively and persistently | in the campaign for diversification and
 continued support of that important
 work. We should go even further and
 give serious attention to the development
 of better marketing facilities.
 | A closer relationship should be estab-
 lished with the Alabama State fair. l National and state legislation favor able to Birmingham and Alabama should
 be supported and proposed laws consid-
 cred detrimental to this city and district opposed
 l STATE CENTENNIAL l Birmingham is the logical place for | holding the celebration commemoratins 1 the tooth anniversary of the admission o1 Alabama to the union. This organization should take the lead and begin, work at
 once on plans for big event that will
 attract nationwide attention and at the same time we must bear in mind tha,
 the 50th anniversary of Birmingham is almost upon us and could be celebrated 1 in connection with the state centennial.
 We should urge the proper authorities at Washington to hasten completion o1 the government building, soon as possi'
 ble nov that material and labor are available.
 Greater effort should be made to at lurDE'C DCUCC