The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-06
BIRMINGHAM LEADS.
 SOUTHERN CITIES. IN HOME BUILDING.
Wholesalers and Manufac- turerS of District Attend Chamber Luncheon With
 Donald Conner Host

"The building material men of Birmingham have all the business that they can attend to-" said Thorn ton Estes, at the Chamber of Com merce luncheon in the Southern club yesterday afternoon.
 Atlanta, for instance, has invested more money in buildings this year than Birmingham, but much of that money has gone into apartment houses, while Birmingham money has gone into homes and is still going into homes, proving this home low ing community"
 "Donald Conner deserves the thanks of the community for his inspiring statement with regard to the added other speaker. That is the most cheering thing that has come to the fore in long time."
 Donald Conner, director of the Chamber and vice president of the Avondale mills, was the host of the luncheon. After a splendid dinner had been served, Mrs. Walter Brewer sang two beautiful vocal numbers in really captivating style with piano accompaniment by Miss Minnie Me Neil. It was a charming prelude to the after dinner talks.
 Chamber "Set to Co.,
 MT. Conner said the Chamber was in good operating form and set to go. We must go," he said. None of us can live for himself" I would that all of us felt the inspiration Of the remark made by Rev. J. A.. Bryan at a former dinner. He said that he belonged to but two organiza tions, the church of God and the Chamber of Commerce, one recognizing the eternal and the other mans duty as a citizen here below"
 J. R. McWane, of the American Cast Iron Pipe company. made brief address on the importance of the establishment in Birmingham of industries controlled and financed by Birmingham capital. A large part ot the money made in Birmingham went out of the district. He did not believe Birmingham would attain its goal un- til it had effected solidarity which brought about Birmingham owned and controlled business.
 Alabama Charter Laws
 l.. Sevier, president of the Alabama Manufacturers association; called at tention of the chamber to the num- bers of Birmingham concerns char tered under the laws of other states instead of being Alabama concerns and asked why this was. Evidently the charters of the other states con ferred greater advantages than Ala bama allowed. Not 25 per cent of the big corporations here, he said, had Alabama charters, and not 10 per cent was strictly home capital. He stressed the importance of legislation that would accord more liberal chart CTS.
 W. B. Leedy told of the old days when Birmingham fought and brag- ged and claimed all in sight, but he said. Birmingham had attained more than all she had claimed and more than the dreams of the most en- thusisastic pioneers held forth. He came here in 1876 and had witnessed these wonders, which, he said, had not yet ceased.
 To Foster Industries
 John W. Sibley spoke of his efforts when president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1912 to locate $2,000,- 900 trust company, whose speciality it would be to foster industrial enter prises by extending financial aid to the worthy. and thought such an in- stitution a great Birmingham need.
 About hundred of the leading wholesalers and manufacturers of the district attended ho In
 The proposition of state aid for the port of Mobile was enthusia stically applauded on being presented by L. Sevier. Mir. Sevier briefly painted the wonderful results that had attended state aid for the port of New Orleans and predicted the same good to com e to Alabama if it took similar action.