The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-02-16
THE ANNUAL REVIEW.
First Annual Report of
President Smith.
He Reviews the Work of the
Board of Trade.
Consideration Of Some Topics of
Importance.

4
ROOM, Monday evening last, the
president, Mr.. d. III. Smith,
delivered the following address, which
is given in full:
GENTLEMEN-Although it is not
prescribed as one of my duties by our
articles or association, / feel that il
is proper to refer very briefly, at least,
to such matters as have come before
the board of directors since the gen.
eral meeting in May last, and its &C.
ton thereon, SO far as judicious man.
agement will warrant. First of all,
we desire to say that much dissatis-
faction has been expressed at the sup
posed inactivity of the boa,d of direc-
tors. This is entirely unjust and un-
deserved. The board has neglected
nothing that has been brought to its
at enrion, nor has it remained idle in
the absence of enterprises, but has
sought after everything that gave
promise of adding to our advance
ment in any way.
That so little has been accomplished
is due to the general financial depres-
sion existing over the entire country.
Among the first tn ngs brought to
our attention was e sale of the city
water works. As you are aware, a
c. mmit ee from the board was ap-
pointed to act with a like one from
the citizens. The only proposition
made had Objectionable features. The
result, after much discussion and con.
sideration was-nothing done; the
committee was discharged.
The next proposition was the loca-
ton of the new penitentiary. The
state commissioners paid us a visit,
but owing to very bad weather and
our very muddy streets, no sites were
shown them. They went to Kansas
City and promi ed to return al any
time we desired them TO do so.
After careful consideration of its
advantages, which were not con-
sidered very great, the bitter hostility
of many ofour people and the failure
o. the state commissioners to find an
acceptable location up to that time to
the governor, We deemed it best to
not specify date to meet the inspect
Ors.
Our principal efforts and endeavors,
however, have been in the direction
of incre asing our railway faciliti s.
This we consider of the utmost i'm
portance to our future prosperity and
success with this in view We sent a
committee to Chic go, consisting of
Messrs. Barrett, Beiler, Yea er and
Coppiige, in June last. Our commit
tie had interviews. With the Chi, ago
board of trade and railroad officials of
the Chicago & Alton railroad. Ow-
ing to territorial agreements existing
between certain roads, nothing could
be done.
We also sent committees to st.
Louis and elsewhere, to meet parties
who had PROPOSE ions to make to us.
The propositions made, and there
were several, were all surrounded by
such conditions that We could not en-
terrain them.
In August We received q PROPOSE
ton from M. ID. T. McIntire, of ILL.,
nois, ostensible representing English
capitalists, and claiming in innate re-
lations with the Chicago d Alton
railroad. He also visited us during
the mon'h and laid his proposit on be-
fore us, which was to build q road
from Sedalia north, to connect with
the Chicago & Alton railroad at such
point as would give us the lest grade
and most business. His plan, or
proposition, was to give the subscrib-
ers stock and first mortgage bonds to
the amount of their subscriptions,
which were to be $1,000 per mile.
Efforts were made to get subscrip-
tons on this proposition-the result
is too well known for us to speak of
here.
At the earnest solicits ton and on the
invitation Of our board, We had a call
or visit from the general superinten-
dent and chief engineer of the Bur
lington q Southwestern. Engineer
Gilchrist remained several days with
us, meeting many of our citizens and
collecting data for a report. Super
intendent Laws joined him on the
morning of the last day, when both
were taken in charge by our commit
tee. The result was great surprise
expressed at our commercial import
ance, and said, railroads nowadays
did not only look as formerly to the
country they ran through, and term
inal points, but much more to trade
Icenters.
They visited Saline county, and
provoieod of4ar onnoulto finu NTH THAR