Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-10-07
BOARD OF TRADE REPORT.


TON OF OUR PUBLt5 woRKs-wHAT YET REMAINS
| TO BE DoNE-REFoRM IN STATE LEaIsLATinN
| STILL TO BE PRosEoUTED-A GRATIFYING REVIEW
OF THE YEARS PRoGREss.
| The report opens with hopeful alusion to
the condition Of business, and states that not
withstanding the present depression nothing has
Really occurred which will lead to a doubt for the
future. The business of the past year has been
attended by frequent fluctuations in all parts of
the country and the recent calamities may BIO
regarded as the result Of causes that have long
existed and feeling of relief seems to be very
generally manifested that the shock is over and
that it is no worse
Wilmington, however, has not specially suffer-
ed from these fluctuations and caamites, neith-
or has 1t felt as keenly as many other places the
depresions which have SO frequently occurred in
business throughout the country generally
Nearly all our measures for public improvements
have been steadily carried forward-many OF
them to completion. None OF them have been
entirely Abandoned
The secretary then reviews the work OF the
year-thst which is completed and that which is
| under way. Among the completed work he mem
tons the W. Il W. r. R., the new hotel. the OK
! tension of the Water Works, the City Hospital
and the widening OF Water street. VI those now
in progress, the opening OF street to the Della
| ware is spoken Of, while OF those which have not
! yet been successful is mentioned the purchase
: Of public park, the building Of union depot,
the removal of the county buildings to this city.
Z FERRY TO NEW JERSEY.
Q The subject of the establishment OF ferry
! with the towns opposite in New Jersey, is con-
| sidered at length, and is regarded as the next
) thing which should be done. The merchants
0 of Wilmington particularly should interest
: themselves in pushing this enterprise to an ear
T " completion. careful investigation of tn 8
I subject must convince any intelligent man that
there is no direction in which transportation ia
cities can be furnished with less outlay and
o with greater promise of profit to the merchants
OF our city. There are opposite us a number of
a | small villages, with thickly settled farming
country, inhabited by thrifty, vigorous aud ac-
e tive population that only needs to have the IA
ci!ities for transportation provided them to ill.,
J. duce them to sell their products to us and to
3 take our merchandise in exchange therefor. 1t
a il only by making investments of this kind that
~ we can hope to attract people to MS to buy our
" wares aud bring lis their products for our use.
et II is then sought to enforce this idea by ref
re erence to the older and large cities, and the dis
I'd position to look for the establishment of such
u enterprises by capitalists and men OF wealth Il
adyerted to and by inference, discouraged. III
may as we'll be understood" says the report
lat the outset, that all this kind OF work mus
be done by the business men of the city, and moi
fo- patriotic purposes, but for the direct and i'm
mediate profit 1t brings them. 1t Is not that We
want to see our city grow, but that we want t
make our business prosper IN our hands-tha
we want to sell more goods and thereby MAKE
more money" lit will not ouly turn this way
the trade Of the population convenient to thu
r. landing on the Jersey shore, but will give III
communication with the commerce Of the Della
| ware river. and encourage the growth Of the ci
ty III that direction, and the occupation OF on
Delaware Front will then begin"
RECORD OF THE PAST YEAR.
The report next enumerates the importan
measures of State Legislation which failed t.
pass the Legislature for various reasons, til
principal one being the remarkable and unfai
system Of representation in force in our State
The city has 80 little representation in the Stat
Legislature that II is powerless to enfOrce pre-
lk- per consideration of it's wants and needs-a fac
* fully illustrated in the matter of tue removal {
~; the County Buildings during the last session
,us The failure of the bill to pass the House, a
SSpp though amended so as to submit the question
mr. | a popular vote il noted, and the opinion eS
lot pressed that each Legislature which Is chose
N should have the responsibility OF deciding upo
nj this question until the change, so evidently ju'
me and proper, shall be made. 1t ia quesIio
~ | which should not be delivered up to tho pollt
a | clans to be made party Issue, but should be d.
Il cided matter Of business, OF convenienC
are and justice to the greatest number and sconon
Ily | to all.
The repeal of the Usury law and the failure
AZ pass general Incorporation act are also nOte
on a., The report then turns to a consideration
Ts the work of the Board. The sui ject OF an a.
preparation for the improvement of the harb
81 received it's sanction, and by its efforts al
The preparation WAS obtained but not sufficient
Lhe do what needs very much to be done
no u An effort to establish daily meetings OF Il
ma Board was successful for a few months b
after lingering through the winter finally die
lew in the spring time.
fee The subject OF an Exposition was discusse
es. referred to committees and finally abandoned
II Geo. IL. Sellers had, in an address on the lot
az of December, given an emphatic assurance til
lad Wilmington is a great location for the manufa
iSS ture Of iron. The address reported Uerb
Tor tim in these columns.
,er The return Of the Revenue Cutter to this ct
Re ton was obtained at the request of the Boar
ur but its stay a short one although its crush
ground il 30 miles nearer Wilmington than Pin
- adelphia the present station, and although the
Is nothing to impede ts entry to our port.
The subject Of the Philadelphia Centenn
Exposition had been discussed and referred
committee which reported in favor Of calliI
EFT public meeting on the subject, but no acti
has been taken.
OUR IEDUsTRIEs-IRoN SHIP BUILDING.
Dck Whatever depression may have beenfelt in Of
er branches Of our business, this one has be
uniformly active and successful. Our yal
have been constantly and fully employed a
the prospect is good for the future. WIlmiT
,lC ton has cause to be proud Of the success of b
iron ship builders, who were the first in
field in this country and who have been unifU
ly,successful in building ships that have
all emergencies proved themselves staunch
reliable. From comparatively small beginn
)Nr this has grown to be one Of the largest a
most successful Industries. With its prosper
we have Prospered, aud when it has been
is it seldom has, our other business has fell
decidedly. The number of mechanics
LSs tradesmen engaged in building and supply
these steam ships is 30 large and varied Il
-, the interest in the success Of this branch il &
IN eral rather than confined to the propIetoTs
the ship yards themselves and while the b
ON ness has been carried without the noise
=, show that so generally accompany large EN-
uCC prises of this kind. yet it's success has b
of that permanent nature that will
Ue all probability keep it in successful
Grafton, when more pretentious but less ca
BILE establishments shall be reck0ned among
things that were. There is probably no bra
OF business carried on in this part of our co
OU try which engages much attention as this
upon which the future OF our mechanical clas
ma 30 largely depends.
So soon a. it is demonstrated that We can
ar essfully complete with the Clyde in the prod
ton Of iron steamships as to cost (for we alre
excel them as to quality there will be reno
to our shores one of the most profitable and
J. tensive branches Of industry in the world,
fording employment to thousands of head
families and encouraging the manufacture
lmmense quantities OF iron. The proprietor
these ship building establishments hold in Il
" hands to greater degree than the same nj
skAh Der of men in other business the future of
CITY, Their success is our success, in mat
point OF view. Judging the future by the past
problem ia in safe hands and unless the appt
auces in the old world are very deceiving
nhfa | abau mt have wait long to