The Portland daily press., 1888-02-13

q
card, printed in brown, and came from the
Office of Owen. Strout & Co. The following
Blue Points.
- Mock Turtle Soup.
Radshes. Celery. OhyeS.
Boiled salmon, Lobster Sauce, Small Potatoes.
Roast Turkey, Cranberry Sauce
i1 oTenderioin Of Beef, Larded with Mushrooms.
Drowned Mashed Potatoes. French Peas.
Roast Grouse, Game Sauce.
Saratoga Chips.
Lobster Salad.
AssortedlCake Charlotte Russo, Japanese JumDie.
Philadelphia Ice Cream.
Coffee Fruit.
The supper was admirably cooked and
served, rejecting great credit on the house.
After the menu had been fully discussed.
Vice President ]. S, Winslow called the CON-
pany to order. in the absence Of President
Blabon.
Mayor Chapman was introduced by Mr..
Winslow as the first speaker Of the evening
and spoke as follows:
MAYOR cHAPMAN's SPEECH.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of the Board
of Trade:
As occupied a goodly portion Of your
time at the previous meeting, / did not ex-
pect to be called upon tonight. When came
in the President said he would like to have
me make few remarks. and as l know that
the subject Of manufactures will be ably
treated by the speakers who come after me,
you will excuse me if what have to say Is
in another direction.
1t seems to me that it must be obvious to
the careful observer Of Portland's progress
that there are certain hindrances to her
growth at the present time. If it we're not
SO we should dot hear of numerous firms re-
tiring from business, of manufacturing enter
prises shutting down, Of the reduction of the
force in the Custom House, and Of citizens
departing to new scenes of labor. Some of
our set-backs may be attributed to the con-
solidation of the oil andIthe sugar interests
into great trusts, but that is beyond our con-
troll. But are there not other causes promo
tive of dull condition of affairs, which we
can help to diminish or remove altogether?
1t occurs to me that one of the things which
is working disastrously to the jobbing flour,
grain and provision trades, is the so-called
"export rebate" Under this arrangement
freight is shipped from the West to Portland
or Boston, and if it goes east of those points
by vessel rebate of five cents per hundred
pounds is allowed. This allowance actually
delivers flour or grain to eastern points along
the coast at less cost than 1t can be left
mere, thus operating against the centres as as
object to any low tariff that our eastern
friends may obtain, still, what justice or pro-
priety is there in these transportation COM
panies saying that flour destined for Portland
shall pay seventy-fye cents freight, While II
ftrfh fhat. or hxy
cost sixty-five cents barrel. The whole ten
dency of the thing is to hurt the Jobbing
trade 1t seems to me that our D0ardS Oh
trade should take some concerted action TO
remedy this injustice, and IL IL cannot De ac-
complished then our merchants must Dill
their goods direct to convenient points along
the coast and use them for points Of distribu-
ton: and our methods of communication
with the seaport towns must be so improved
as to cause merchandise to pass through our
city as a channel OF transportation, Wnlcn II
now fails to do.
Asa citizen of Portland | was very much
disappointed the other day when l read that
| the first shipment of flour over the new
Sault road from Minneapolis had started fol
Europe by the way of the Canadian Pacific
road to Boston. Now we know that the
Sault st. Marie road connects Minneapolis
with the Canadian Pacific and Minneapolis
being in direct line with Portland is more
| than hundred miles nearer by way OF that
route to Portland than to Boston, and YET
the freight of the great Northwest is pass
ing by us on the other side of the
mountains to Boston, leaving. our Portland
| 4 Ogdens5urg road which we have built ur
there to receive it, on one side
Now, what is the reason for all this? II
seems to me that the reason is obvious. We
have not the facilities for receiving and
handling it. The West has done its part
| They have built great lines of railroads out
| TO meet us and we have stretched out to re-
| ceive them and yet their freight does moi
| come here because we have no elevators tc
| take the grain, we haveno wharves or docks
| where they can discharge their merchandise,
! nor have we any lines of steamers with
| which to transport it across the ocean. Now
| before we can reap any benefit these matters
must be remedied and they are so patent te
| our merchants that it IS common remarl
| that they would be willing to have the city:
| interest in the Portland & Ogdensburg roaC
| given to the Canadian Pacific II that roaC
| would come here and make Portland its ter
| minus.
Now. | speak with authority when say
| that no efforts have been spared to bring the
| Canadian Pacific into this city, and fee
| certain that before many months such ar
rangements will be consqmmated as shall re
| solt in bringing a very large share OF thell
| business into Portland Tor tranSSnlpment
| Applause.
The other evening my friend Gen. Ander
| son alluded to the matter OF floating eleya
tors. | cannot quite agree with him tha
! there is no necessity except Tor floating ele
vators. They are very well so far as filling
vessels is concerned, but it seems to me tha
| we also need elevators for storage purpose,
| so that grain may be consigned here ant
! kept on storage for local sale or for foreign
| shipment. When large amounts Of grain arr
| consigned here vessels will be attracted Il
this port for freights. At the present time
| no grain can be consigned here because there
| is no elevator capacity. Grain coming by
| the way of any road than the Grand Trunl
cannot be received into our present elevator
| Therefore, we are placed in the position Of
| having fine harbor, superior geographical
| position, but without any of the appliances
| for transshipment. What we need is, al
| taught by the Grand Trunk road, line O.
| steamers all the year round. Applause.
Another retarding cause to our Prosperity
| it seems to me is the disposition OF our citi
zens TO invest their money elsewhere than il
our own State. Is it not too common thai
we have no money for manufacturing o.
commercial enterprises at home, but thou
sands upon thousands of dollars for Western
mines, for Western railroads, for Western
land anaoula finn aud cahpmn1 Of pvqrv kind