The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-24
ANNISTON CHAMBER
 HOLDS ITS ANNUAL MEET AND BANQUET
Bell Reelected President. Meeting Most Enthusi- astic Ever Held In His
 tory of Organization

Anniston. January 2s-<SpeciaL) )-From the moment President Charlie Bell hit upon the happy idea of having every man introduce the member on his right at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce at the Anniston Inn Thurs day evening to the delivery of the cheer ing message of optimistic cooperation from the people of Oxford by Mayor D c. Cooper. around 25O members of the civic organization were held at close at- tention with the swiftly varying features of the best and most enthusiastic meet
 ing ever held fin this city.
 Promptly at 7:30 O oclock President Ben stood in the door of the large dinins room at the Inn and invited the mem- bers and visitors to come in" A cross table for the presiding officers and some of the speakers and two long tables across the dining hall were quickly filled, and the large number of business men of the city did full justice first to the splendid banquet prepared by Miss Riser for the occasion and during the progress of the meeting followed the different phases of the meeting with extreme interest
 BELL REELECTED
 Reelection of Charles R. Bell as presi- dent of the Chamber of Commerce, selec- tion of Sam J. Powers to the post of vice president and the ere-eiection of L. c. Watson as secretary-treasurer was one of the first and main items of busi- ness on the evenings programme.
 The reelection of Mir. Bell to the head of the civic organization is considered to be a distinct compliment to the ability of the live wire worker who has brought such measure of success during his first incumbency, and the election of Mir. Powers brings into the official manage sment of the chamber a man of ripe business experience and substantial judgment. Mir Watson's unanimous re- election to the secretar's place, po- sition he has long held with both honor and credit, gave universal satisfaction.
 The opening number for the evening was the invocation delivered by the Rev. S. F. Hodges and following the course of the banquet reports of committees were read and created a full measure of enthusiasm. The report of the mem bership committee showed that the roll of members had been doubled during the past year, and the report of the pub licity committee showed that this city was receiving a splendid amount of ad- vertising through the territory to be supplied by the Florida Short Route and other mediums.
 HEALTH STATISTICS Gi FEN
 Following the election of offiei and a board of directors Dr. c. A. ( Ter was heard, and the reading of extracts from the annual report of the county health efficer came in the nature of reveia tion to the members of the Chamber of Commerce. The report of Dr. Cryer will be printed and distributed in short time.
 The financial growth of Anniston. it's industries and banks, was next outlined by w. P. Acker, president of the Annis- ton National Bank, whose outline of the last 10 years of progress showed that the business development of Anniston dur ing the period had outsiripped that of any other city in the state
 An added feature on the programme was the appearance and address by l.. J. Sindell of the state board of vocational training, who spoke for the allotted time of 10 minutes on the subject of voca- tional training in the schools of the state. delivering what was classed as one of the most eniightening addresses on edu- cation of practical nature ever heard by an Annston audience.
 STRESS CITY'S NED
 "Anniston as a Trading Center" was handled in a clear-cut way by Sam J Powers, who gave some of the needs or the city in order to make it the real trading center of northeast Alabama counties, and who paid particular at tention to the value of good roads at means of drawing trade to the local mar ket. A significant argument advanced by MT. Powers was that in favor of the establishment of a standard produce mar keting place adequate to handle all of the perishable and nonperishable prod ucts brought here by the farmers of the territory contiguous to Anniston.
 The subject of "The Press" was ad- mirably handled by Capt. Harry NJ. Ayers, publisher of the Anniston Star and Leon Friedman of Birmingham, both of whom were heartily applauded for the brilliance of their responses to the sub jects assigned them without notice.
 Another Civic Asset" characterized by the speaker as one of the chief means of substantial growth, progress and prosperity, received 10 minutes of elo- auence at the hands of the Rev. Leon M Latimer of the Parker Memorial Church, the spaker giving the past history of the churches of the city and coupling the past and future in an acceptable way.
 The laughing started when Sam Crook was introduced by President Bell. Mirth ran riot up and down the long tables even before the tales of yore began to flow. and tte presiding officer, who had ben punctrai in reminding the other speakers that their time was up, forgot