The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-15
January IA, 1884.
-s@sRH , ~ HOOEl
sEoRETARY's REPORT.


sEcRETARY's REPORT
10 q, me officers ana members Of the Board of
beg respectfully to report that there have
reen held during the year, fourteen meetings
OF the managers and four of the full board
Four meetings we're adjourned for want of a
| quorum. eighteen perst ms have been admitted
| To membership, and five members have died.
VIZ: CO President Israel Washbnrn, A L.
Hobson, Jos. Wescoit, W. S. Jordan, Hon.
JAS Bailey. The Board row numbers ITO
members against 1852 last year.
have received for admission fees and
From Board of Fire Underwriters for 44loo
ase of rooms --................... 6o.oo
| Making total. ."...............,.., S5ol.oo
The Merchants Exchange has at this time
z23 paying members. The receipts from suh-
scilplions to the Exchange have been 81 $40 so,
nssiug my aSgree ate receipts from all sources
fer the year, $2,07150, all of which has cen
paid to the treasurer.
| To say that the year Of 1883 has been a very
| remarkable one in business affairs in the uui-
qersai depression pervading all kinds, foreign.
Dome stlc and CONNIE rcial, as we'll as industrial
affairs, IN that general decentralization has
seemed TO be the common fate of most every
class OF businesses TO recite nothing new to the
| business people OF Portland, nor is our CITY or
State an exception in this respgct az everv
market 10 the world is under the same clond
Yet, Wills the general outlook is not cheering.
nor promising, careful survey of our imm5
dlate anairs Is not without the announcement
that our progress is STE adily onward The vol
ume OF trade has been larger and The saya.aI
transportation lines have moved more FREIGHT
than ever before. An indication OF the increase
OF the city's traffic is shown 10 the return to
our port OF great steamship liues and the stead
lily increasing number of arrivals and danart-
nre OF ocean steamers showing that our GREAT
natural advantages will very soon be utilized
| to our common good And in this counection. {
before closing my report, would venture to
suggest whether or not, in view of the tendan-
cy to the employment of the largest sized
tteamships,of increasing depth of draft and the
annihllation nf every impeachment to speed and
iis9atch, 1t would be expedent for this board
20 iase early action towards securing appro-
prlations from the general government to fur-
Their improve this harbor so as to en- able thase
ships to come to and depart from their docks at
all times.
Respectfully submitted
M. N. RICH, Secretary.
Portland. Jan. IA, 1884.
PORT wARDEN's REPORT.
The port wardens Msssrs. John Hasty and
Benjamin w. Jones, repori ed they had visited
onclally during the year, 1872 vessels viz At
foreign steamships and foreign sailing shin:
10 American and ID foreign barks; Is Ameri-
can and foreign brigs; 18 American and
foreign schooners; and 6 coastwise vessels
whose cargoes have with one or two executions
been all found IN good order. Recapitulation is
made OF the accident to the steamship Brook
lyn. on Aprll D, 1883. and the three SURVEYS
winch resulted III discharge of cargo, the
placing of the vessel in the dry dock and The
recommendtory of temporary repairs to ena-
bic her to reach home and of her departure af-
Ter re palr. The steamships arriving at this
port tnis winter generally bring light cargoes
IN good order. The wardens say they have en-
deavored to act promptly and impartiallyin all
matters brought before Them
Portland, Jan. IA, 1884
The reports were accepted and ordered on
ME, except that of the Board of Man.fuctu-
ers, Board of Rail roads and Steamboats,, Mer-
chants Exchange-which the chairman said
was embraced in the report of the secretary of
the Board of Trade-snd the Meteorological
report, which reports Y i'll be made later
The committee en- nominations reported the
| following list of officers for the ensuing year.
OFFICERS:
President-George P. W escott
vice fredericksburg S. Dana 10
seph Il. Blabon, Charles Mclaughlin,
secreiary-M. N. Rich
Treasnrer-Cbarles s. Fobes>
Drectors-T. G. Hersey, Geo. w. Wood
man, Jacob s. Winslow, Samuel J. Anderson.
VIM. u. Davis, Eben Cory, George Walker
Port Wardens-Capt. Benz. w. Jones, and
Capt. Thomas Ingersoll.
The obove list were elected.
Mr.. Fobes, the treasurer, when he made his
report, called attention to the fact that the
| subscriptions to the Merchants Exchange had
increased $500 since 1870, making the Ex
change jnst about self-sustsining, its expenses
being about $1 $50, and that, if the Excas1ee
did as well this year as lest, it would have 500
left to go and come on. The Exchange mnst
be kept up and tbs membership increased.
ri n fbas- 4
the Exchange had been rather slow about
800 being now-d6e.
THE PORT WARDEN QUESTION.
Inc Chairman directed ballot for two port
ward6ns. '0-'
Hon. q. 81. Chase doubted if the board had
power 10 elect the wardens. He had consulted
the attorney General of the State and he said
that by the law passed last winner the election
must De made by the board of managers. Capt
Chase quoted chap 164, acts and resolves 1883,
sec. 3, by which the managers of the Board of
Trade, not the board itself, elected the war
deDs.
Hon. Charles Mclaughlin said be remem-
bered the law quoted by Capt Chase. and II
applied merely to the appointments of gardens
TO oil vacancies. The amendment-or law
IN question, was necessitated by Capt Mount
forts death.
Quite discussion ensued IS to the meaning
of the word appoint"
Capt. Chase held to his opinion, at the same
time wishing it understood he had no interest
In the matter, aud Capt. c. w. Ford agreed
with Capt. Chase. Mr.. Woodman differed
with both speakers. Mr. Hersey read IRON,
the act in gus stion. Mr.. Rich said that the
word appointed" was to be construed as
meaning elected in all such cases as that man
toned III the act of 1888, chap. 104, see 8. Mr..
Mclaughlin requested that the secretarv
should read the law in regard to the appoint-
meht OF port wardens, and the port warden
Dill was accordingly read, and the law express-
~ stated that the word appoint should be con-
6trued to mean elect
Mr.. Mclaughlin said he never could
see the necessity of the amendment, but at the
death of Capt. Mountfort this matter was dis
cussed, and 1t was decided that the board
could not elect a warden until the annual
meeting. The amendment was proposed by
advice OF Hon. VIM. L. Putnam.
Capt. Jones said that under legal advice he
nad oecllned to accept The office of warden at
the death of Capt. Mountfort, and had acted
as clerk or asept of Capt. Rasty
Mr.. Mclaughlin explained at length the cir
act of 1883.
Capt. Chase said it seemed to him that il
might be well to provide fora possible attempt
on the part Of some attorney to raise the point
In an important law suit.
Ia leply TO question by Mr.. Hersey as to
the meaning OF the term appointing powers"
IN the low, Mr.. Mclaughlin explained that it
meant in cities having boards of trade such
boards, and in other cases the municipal au-
thorities.
Captain Ford moved that the Board proceed
to the election of port wardens. end that the
secretary be instructed TO inquire iuto fthe le-
galty OF the act of 1888, and il the election un-
der the circumstances be found illegal to lay
the whole matter before the managers
MIR. Rich read communication signed by
Hon. Jacob Mcclellan aud others recommend
ing Capt. Thomas lngersoll for the position of
warden.
Opposition being made to the motion of
Capt. Ford it was withdrawn.
Capt. Jones stated thst Capt. Hasty had re-
quesred him to state that he should not be a
candidate.
a vote was taken, and Capt. Benjamin W.
Jones and Capt Thomas Ingersoll were elected
port wardens.
Capt j. S. Winslow then read the following
resolutions in support of the Dngley bill.
Whereas-That in the opinion of this Board, |
IL Is OF vital importance to the shipping inter- |
ests OF THIS country, that some immediate ac- |
ZION should be taken by Congress to aid in |
cnecklng the rapid decline OF Merchant |
Marine oil the United States, by such legisla-
Ion as may speedily remove every possible bur-
den OF taxation to which our sh;,.~;,.. loa i