The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-14

Of the above balance: One thousand dollars ar,
In Government Bonds and twelve hundred twenty
nine 11-1oO dollars deposited in Portland Savings
| Bank. CHAs. H. HASKELL. Treasurer
Portland, Jan. 10, 1878.
| sECRETARY's ANNUAL REPORT
y, To the officers and members of the Board OF
Trade: Your Secretary would respectfully re.
port that there have been nineteen meetings heid
during the year, viz: Fourteen of the Manag-
| ers, and five meetings of the full Board. IN
| Guiding specials and one adjourned nee.lns
-Four meetings were adjourned Without tran-
| sactino apy business for want OF quorum.
Seventeen persons have been proposed and
| rineteen admitted to membership
! Three members have deceased during the
year, viz: Rensselaer, Cram, Capt; Thomas NJ.
| Means and George w. Whittier. Twelve men,
| bers have remoAed from the city.
The Board now numbers 294 (?) members
who have paid their annual assessments the
past year against BIG reported at our last an
nual meeting.
L have received for admission fees and annual
assessments 1921, and have paid the same to
the Treasurer. The source Of the receipts is
herewith submitted, together with the records
and books of account belonging to the Board,
for the inspection of it's members.
The Merchants Exchange has at this time
az members-a slight increase over the num-
Der reported last year. The receipts from sub
scrbers OF the Merchants Exchange has been
S1,S5S.75, against $1,Sl2. rs last year, making
Exchange and Board $2,179.75, against S.
1870, the total receipts of last year.
AS the annual assessment laid by the s'Na-
tional Board upon this organization absorbs
more than one half our receipts, not leaving adj
equate means to pay the current expenses, I
would respectfully suggest the eXpediency of a
slight advance in the annual assessments, which
have hitherto been very much less than that of
any other Board II the United States.
The revival of our shipping interests, the in
praa If m
ton and improvement of the harbor, internal
transportation and alien taxation, have been
the leading top les that have engaged the atten-
ton OF the Board during the year. 1t is already
obvious to many OF our most careful and saga
cious business people that our city has now
reached climax in its business prospects, that
will require much of careful attention and ear
nest work from this Board the coming year, and
we venture the hope that our successors in
office will come to ''the 'front.' with determine
alton to devote their most Jealous and untiring
efforts to aid in dispellng the dark cloud of
stagnation and depression that has hung over
the business interests of our city the past five
years, so that the young men who have gone
out from our midst into other parts of the
country will find it for their interest to turn
their steps hitherward.
We have abundant assurance that all the
great leading in jerests OF our city and State
promise most fattering revival the coming
year, and it only remains for us at this time, to
take courage and 60 forward with ZEAL
Respectfully submitted,
NJ n. RICH, Secretary.
TO MEMBERS OF THE PORTLAND BOARD OF
TRADE.
Your meteorological committee take pleasure
in stating that the Signal Service during the
year 1872 has demonstrated beyond question,
its utility in facilitating the common centering
at this port, besides answering a general de-
mand of the community in furnishing meteoro-
logical data in more complete and official
form than could elsewhere be obtained. The
information thus furnished is sought not only
by the ship.masters for whom it is pri-
marily designed, but by the merchant the
traveller, and occasionally by the la wyer who
finds it valuable as evidence in court. 1t is i'm
possible to state how much, if any shipping has
been saved to our city or State in the past year
by this agency, but your committee could cite
several instances in which vessels have avoided
much needless and dangerous exposure if not
serious disaster by these timely warnings of
approaching storms.
The office here has gained something in eff
fciency through the experience of the observers
in charge, but the greatest gain is found in the
now universally recognized Importance of these
readiness they show to avail themselves of the
information thus placed at their disposal. Many
of the erroneous ideas held by the less expert
enced class of navigators in regard to meteorol-
ogy, are being gradually corrected through the
information impaired by this service. As a
consequence more reliance is placed upon tho
movements of the barometer, as they come to
be understood, and less upon the phases of the
moon or visions of white horses'' In word
the Signal Service is pushing out of existence
the numerous superstitions and absurd notions
in regard to tho weather that have hitherto
prevailed on sea and land and is substituting
therefor scientific knowledge.
Since July last we have not received the
usual reports from other stations, owing to dis
agreement between the Government and the
Telegraph Co. This is a great loss but we are
assured that the difficulty will soon be RENE
died and the reports resumed.
Serg't Williams who is now in charge Of the
office here is an efficient officer and his cour-
tesy and readiness to impart information has
often ELECTED praise from those having bust
ness with the Office. This qualification in all
observer deserves special mention for without
it the Office loses half its value.
The expense to the Government of main
taiAing the station here cannot much exceed
$500 per year and your committee believe that
from this small expenditure of public money,
benefits have already accrued to the citizens of
Portland which entitle the Signal Service to
the respect and support of this Board of Trade
and the community in general
N. n. RICH, Committee Of the
J. S. BEDLow. Board of Trade.
PORT wARDEN's REPORT.
To the officers and members the Board Of Trade
Portland:
Inc Fort w ardens peg respectfully to submit
the following report for the past year:
We have visited officially 135 vessels during
the year, eomprising'3O Foreign steamships.
American steamships, 1 Foreign sailing ship,
l American sailing ship, 8 Foreign barks,
American banks, 81 Foreign briggs, 25 American
briggs, Foreign schooners, 8 American schoon-
ers, q coastng vessels total 135 vessels, of
which g. are Foreign, A American, and q
coasters.
We have found the cargoes of the above ves-
| sells generally in good order with some exCep-
lions, where damage was sustained during the
| bad weather, in the winter months
We have attended to the discharging of the
steamers from Halifax, and also to the dis
charging OF the European steamers, which we
generally delivered in good order
Respectfully submitted.
JOHN HAsTY, / Port