Wichita eagle., 1890-01-17
ANNUAL BOARD OF TRADE.
Election Of Directors and Reports OF Ofhcers-
A Good showing,

4
Geo. H. Blackwellder called the annual
meeting of the Wichita Board of Trade te
order at o'clock last night.
Secretary H. L. Pierce had hardly got
started on the minutes of the last annual
meeting when Mr. A. w. Oliver moved the
further reading of the minutes be omitted
President w. S. Corbett's address was
read by Mr.. VIM. Behring, owing to the
unavoidable absence Of Mr.. Corbett, and
is as follows:
Gentlemen of the Wichita Board of Trade
AT this annual meeting OF our board,
the subject that is first and foremost in
our minds is our city's interest, and we
are reminded that
Cities are not great, except men make
them.
Men are not great except they do and dare,
And cities like men have destinies that
| takes them
That bears them on not knowing why or
where"
There is no greater illustration found of
faith and hope and will than that of cur
own city.
Take up her story;
Every leaf and chapter
Contains record that conveys thrill. :"
This organization. unlike many other
| boards of trade was organized not for indi-
vidual gains, but its functions are to seek
| by legitimate means to promote the well
fare of our city and country. to extend its
! trade and manufactures and to labor in
any way that will add to our substantial
wealth. That this board has been factor
| in bringing about many results that have
benefited our citizens and promoted the
welfare of our city, no one can deny. Two
years ago we had no packing houses, no
electric lines. no paving, but few of the
manufactures which are now being suc-
cessfulIy operated; yes, the scene has
changed in single year, Since our
last annual meeting the Whitaker
! plant has been completed and put
into operation, the greater part of our
electric lines have been built, our sewerage
almost completed, the paving of one street
completed and others to follow, the county
court house, u building of which we are
justly proud. almost finished, the public
building being rapidly pushed to finish,
the contract let for fine city hall, several
large school houses about to be built.
large number OF prosperous manufactures
esta blished, new jobbing houses located,
two of your largest establishments entirely
destroyed by fire, but both. Pboenix-like,
have arisen from their as eS and doing
more business than ever before, and in adj
ditlon to all this, the granaries of the
farmers filled to overfowing, there can be
but one conclusion, and that is that Wich-
tia has more elements of substantial
growth than any city in our common
wealth.
While the past year has been one of f.
nancial depression we have had no serious
business failures; we have not a single
manufacturer or jobUer who has combined
business management with capital but has
been successful in the business engaged
III.
Referring to this branch of business
there Is SO much that might be that is not
done. it would seem that the capitalists of
our city would DO more to encourage the
establishment of new jobbing houses. and
in this way advance our city's interests
more than in any other. The buying of
lots and the building of brick blocks are of
b. nefit TO our city, but if you expect to re-
ceive in rents from 10 to II per cent per
annum on your investments, you will
drive those seeking locations to 9TH
er points and will, sooner or
later awaken to the realization of the
truth that there is that (which withhold
eth and yet scattereth." AS the land of
Canaan was to the 1sraelites, so is the
trade of the great southwest our city.
1t is ours to possess if we place ourselves
In "A position to take care of 1t. Hundreds
of merchants are knocking at our gate
ways, but with no jobbing hardware
houses, drugs or queeusware. and a score
of other lines that might be named, it
makes it all the more difficult for those
who are now doing jobbing business
The question is often asked, why can |
not we get more manufactures" With |
new jobbing houses this follow, for the
manufacturers are largely dependent on
the jobbers for The marketing of their
products.
The demands for new jobbing houses has
been so often discussed and so well under |
stood that l need not enter into further |
detail. 1t should be the aim of this board |
to do everything in their power to have all |
lines OF business represented, and thereby |
develop into a substantial jobbing city,
The great results accomplished in the |
last year has not been entirely through |
the work of this board, but you have been |
an important factor in bringing about |
these results. Many questions of import |
ance will have to be met la the future, as |
they have been in the past, and the work |
before US IS very great. There is no time |
in the history of city when its citizens |
can afford to fold their hands and |
look idly on. We are no longer
village, the day of cess pools for
and mud streets for business will |
soon be past. We are now entering upon |
a new era. Great aims are not easily ac-
but all can do something if |
we Will. The time was when it was
thought city could not be built Unless it
had port; here we have no port with
rising masts, but we have the elements
y,
ton is well laid. We have around us a
unsurpassed for riches; we are in
close proximity TO salt fields SO great that
the world could receive Its supplies there
from; the sugar industry, If successful,
will alone make US wealthy empire. But
few realize how much OF this product is
used by the American people
The annual consumption of sugar in the
United States amounts to :, 293, 600. 600 mil
lion pounds, or over 10000, 00u tons OF
this amount we pay duty on over $500,
D00, 900 pounds, and of the total amount
con sumed Louisiana and other southern
states produce little less than $40 200, 600
pounds.
The duty derived from sugar is equal to
% per cent of the entire revenue of the
derived from imported mer-
chandise.
Our sugars are mostly imported from
Mexico, the West Indias and South
America.
For the year 1889 we received from the
Hawaiian islands little more than 5000. 900
pounds of sugar, while our receipts last
year from this source were go, 000, 900
pounds.
The annual per capita consumption of
sugar in the United States is % pounds, of
which the product of the United States
amounts to let's than one-eighth.
The consumption of sugar in the United
States is annually increasing and what
ever the posi- biltles of the future may be
.or home production we cannot equal the
femand tor many years. Our own state
consumes annually $1,000, 900 pounds of
sugar; SO from the above statistics we
readily see that if the sugar business OF
Kansas is made success, and it can be
With capital and business management,
hat our state will in time be one of the