The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-04-05
THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.
Full Meeting of the Board of Trade
Yesterday Morning.
The Plans Displayed and the Report
Fully Discussed.

of the Board of Manufacturers on the pro-
posed Industrial Exhibition.
Before the main business of the meeting
was reached, the following names we're pro-
posed for membership:
Phillip J. Larrabee. Geo F; Holmes,
Jas. T. Jordan A. Ill. waite,
E. G. Jordan, Sewall q. Strout.
John Munroe, Charles A. Stroul,
Nelson Tenhy, Geo. ToIman,
:. w. Roberts, Geo r. bro,
P. q. Manning, u I. baDcocR.
The rules were suspended and the above
named gentlemen were elected members.
The Board of Manufacturers then made
the following report:
The board of manufactures as committee
of the Board of Trade has carefully consld-
cred the advisability of establishing in this
mously Of the opinion that the undertaking
is feasible one Much time and attention
has been given to details and preliminary
matters and the general plan and scope Of
such an exhibition as determined on by the
committee has already been published.
There are no suitable buildings 10 the city
available for the purpose and 1t will be nee
essary TO erect such buildings as may be re-
quired. Plans and estimates have been OBJ
tanned for building to be erected in the
square enclosed by Market, Milk, Silver and
Fore streets, but no particular site for such
building has been finally determined upon.
1t is the opinion of the committee that the
proposed exhibition should be permanent
one, undertaken for at least a term of 10
years, and therefore the building to be erect
ed should be a permanent building. The esti-
mated cost OF a permanent brick building to
contain sufficient space for exhibitors is $685.
600. The committee are confident that the
exhibition can be made great success and
be of immense advantage to the city,
| and to all the citizens of whatever trade,
| profession or occupation. They believe 1t
| would be the finest and most equitable way,
| considering the universal benefit that must
| come from such an enterprise to all our citi-
| zens, that the city should erect suitable
| permanent building which could be leased
| for a term of years for the purpose proposed.
| The committee are all ready to go forward
| with the project If they can be sustained by
| the Board of Trade and the citizens general
| ly. No objection or opposition to the enter
| prise has yet been heard from any citizen by
| any member of the committee. On the other
hand there has been very general encourage
ment given by all our citizens who have been
consulted In the matter. Your committee
therefore, coming to you for advice and di-
rection, recommend:
THAT there be established in this city. under
the auspices q the Board OF Trade, permanent
Industrial exhibition.
,2-That the Board of Trade, by appropriate res
oiutlons, call upon the city to provide suitable
dustries.
nat iui power ana authority be given the
poard OF mlnuiacturers to carry forward the I'M
dertaking on behalf of the Board of Trade if suf-
1clent encouragement and support is received
from the city and general public.
The report was accepted.
Mr.. c. r. Milliken, being called upon, said
that while he was not in the habit of max
ing speeches, yet this seems to be matter of
business that all are interested in. When he
said all he did not except a single citizen of
Portland, whether laborer, interested in
transportation lines, merchant. lawyer, a
doctor, real estate owner or banker, or
in any other position he can occupy in Port
land. 1t seemed to him matter of great
Importance, and he considered it of much
greater Importance than some things which
we have been $50 unanimous in trying to
bring to Portland, that he had consented to
put his shoulder to the wheel and help lift it,
but it cannot be done by talking. 1t is to be
done by acts, and it has got to be acts where
1t takes amounts of money. The committee
had considered what would be an equitable
way to obtain money. The committee be-
lieved that in matter where all the citizens
were so much interested that every citizen
should pay his pro rata proportion. The
committee think the place for the building
is the market house lot.
Col. John M. Adams asked if the proposed
plan would be better than stock company.
Mr.. Milliken answered that stock COM
pany might be hard to form. After the
building is completed money will be needed
to run the exhibition. Then company
might be formed. Mr.. Milliken said it was
proposed to tear down the present building
on Market street., Plans of proposed build
ing drawn by Stevens & Cobb were exhib-
tied.
Seth l.. Larrabee said the committee are
perfectly unanimous in the report which
they have submitted. They have carefully
considered every point. They thought the
proper thing for the city to do was to furnish
the building and then the Board of Trade
would run the exhibition. After the build
ing is secured the committee are confident
that they can obtain the necessary funds to
run an exhibition for series of years.
Charles I'll. True believed the exhibition is
for the interest of every citizen of Portland
and for the benefit of the State
W. S. Dana said the object of the meeting
is to ascertain the state of the public pulse
on the question. Personally he was heartily
in favor of it.
Hon. w. G. Davis said he had nothing to
say. He would endorse everything that
everybody else said.
I. c. Woodbury. had a doubt about the
wisdom of the method suggested for raising
the money. He thought the women taxpay-
ers would not be benefited by the proposed
exhibition and the proposed tax would bear
heavily on them if the city should erect the
building. He thought there was public
spirit enough to erect the building by private
enterprise.
Mr.. l.. A. Goudy said his enthusiasm over
the matter was well known. 1t should be
provided for according to the general rule of
the greatest good to the greatest number.
The city of Portland will be the stockboId-
ers OF the corporation, and this being for the
benefit Of the whole community, the city
should be called upon to provide building
for the exhibition.
Mr.. E. b. Winslow said his views were
embodied in the report. He did not think
that the municipality would feel the expen-
diture of $4,000 or $4,000. When the gov
eminent of the city of Portland adds to the
annual appropriations, the Taxpayers know
very little about it. They know for what
purpose 1t has been made. but he did not
suppose there are many tax pa. RS who
know whether $4,000 or $780, 900 are appro-
priated this year. He thought Portland had
got to expend little money. There is a
great demand for money to put some of our
streets In better condition, and many other
expenditures, and the added amount would
not trouble anybody. The city must wake
up and do something that will bring money
into 1t, encourage our manufacturers that
are established, and increase that number.
ne SAID that he was surprised when. as a
member OF the board of manufactures he
FOUND that we have upwards of 800 mannfac-
tories In the city of Portland today. There
are over 800 employees at work in the yicini-
ty OF Back Cove. and reckoning three to a
family. that gives living to 1900 people.
The city is paying high rental for armories.
and this building could be turned into an ar
mory, or the Board of Trade might call for
more commodious accommodations which
might be furnished here.
Col John M. Adams entirely agreed with
that had been said in regard to
the mode of conducting the exposition. The |
only question in his mind was in regard to |