Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-03-12
ALEXANDRIA.
AN EXCELLENT BUSINESS SCORING
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT AND BoAED
OF DIRECTORS THE B0ABD
OF TRADE.

The following report Of the President aud
Bonrd ef Directors of the Board of Trade
a presented at the annual meeting of thai
board on Monday night last:
To the Board of Trade of Alexandria Ia:
Geutlemen-Your Board hiss low bcan organ
lied two years, and it is hut reasonable that you
should expect from your Beard OF Directors ~
account of their stewardship. Nc, therefore, take
pleasure in presenting this, our first general re
mort and will endeavor to give you truthful
statement OF cur dongs.
We cong Gtulate you on tae prrseiico III cur
community Of Beard ofTrade. 1t is an organ
| u tion in any community OF BUSH ess men, tnst
i. cal Llated to give impetus snd vim 10 eli ousl
| ness enterprise. 1t Is q med um by ana through
which the advantages Of ocation AID of basncss
facilities Can lie t BIO mnde known to the world
| II is also the very best medium through
which business men adjust all diff :uliies arts
| ing between Themselves, transportation compa
lis I'D O her corporations. II aGds much TO tht
| 'es,rit de corps which should cha -scer q, aud
| mark sll energetic business communities. 1t
scope is a de Ne, and it's fuLct ons, among c.hor
| thir o. are to take coenigance OF all I'cu, ale
and national legislation, which direc ly or iadi-
recty affect the best business Interests Of The con-
| mur ty III which it is iocste'. it is in no sense
| politicsl But in the widest and bfoadt st sens
it endeavots By its advice and sag. estions, TO in
fuence and promote the interests OF all the PEG.
! lie whom it represents,
| Actirg upon these general broad prineioles,
your Board has en- ieavored TO put them in prac
| tite hey have at times met di ,couragemcns
! ard have net always succeeded in accompis ling
| all thew d. sile' Yet. they feel greatly cncour
| aged, and boiove that through tho efforts made.
! much md substantial coed has be n &C onplished
that interest has been aroused, that eaergy has
| been Quick oncd and Progress and Success will
| hencsforsh DO The motto inscribed upon our ban
| mere.
How email sacces be attained? TIE location
OF our city ought to secure it; but six miles from
| the capital Of he nation-twentS minutes by raii
| from eno, ylvania Avenue. with twenty Gsi!y
| trains each way which will te increa ei as the
demand justi6(s with hourly cymnunca ion by
ferry; on ,he pJ omac river, approaches for
ocean steanlf rs drawing not over twentS-one feet
| of wstor; at tho junciue of five of the principal
trunk rail lines of tie country, to wit: ho Penn
sylvsnie tho 4t.more and Ohio, the Chesapeake
ana Ohio the Richmond and Danvillo, and in the
| near future the Norfolk aud Western, and the
/ Coast Line it would seem that AL Xandria pos
sesses untqlall5i advantages is distributing
point This is the moro apparent when we C.
uemher that our magnificent Potomac aflJrds ia
sGun!!cd facilities for portston on It's broad
waters to tho SEA the great Highway OF the ns-
lions. Let it be remembered that this grand
va er-wsy will alr ass and ever hold in cheek sny
and all attempts the part OF railway monopOliea
TO CONTROL or mako buIdonsomc, our coastwisc
trade
1t is also to be noted that cur city is fortunet ly
| so loca' cd that VIC and will give TO all manu-
fscturing enterprises minimum ast for fuc'.
| II may be true that other cities and locati0ns ca
| provide this life blood CT manufactures rs chcaply
/ a we can nevertheless il il equally rs tue that
none can do it for less. Our resources from the
| goat Cumberland basin by rail, and obaby by
| tho revival of tho c. & q Cana are beyond the
roach of successful connection And With the
po.sibilits the near iu'Crc IL tho fact, OF tho
cerisinties OF The extension of the Chesapeake n
ohio and the Norfolk & Western cyst 'p.s those
| great highways that are doing 30 much To develop
the mineral wealth OF tho two Nrginias, m Ike The
| assurance such that AleXg EGiia can not, under
any reasonable conditions, fail to realize tho I'D
| vautages which to b derived fr"m its prox-
| unity to snrh vas deposits of coal and iror
| Ionot these considerations III ke our lJc.t on
| a desirable one, for great MAMMA turing cenir
| In addition to all this are aftor al. naturally
n suburb of tho national capital wi ich is desl ed
to be the cCntie of education and OF art. not only
| of these great Unt. States, hut OF the world rs
| yeli-a city not of thousands but of millions
| Shall not Alexandria be to Washington what
| Havre is to Paris TIE great entrepot and work
| shOp OF the Capital? Such, gentlemen, your de-
scendant, will SEQ il. How far you will realize
tho picture and how much you will benefit by it,
| is largely in you own power. Will you slizs the
opporiunity Will you benefit By the situation ?
1 III you Will, eptiNO iOi AiiO 6OGii gnu WV
! priz, ID yours
In addition to al this stands tho fact that
| property avalshls tur maui actu,ing enterprises
can be pui CHASED to-day for moety OF it, co / in
any of our seabosrd eli $, snd Ii { general
artment of our City C,unci exonIptS manu- factu
10y establish menis from municipal taxation Tar a
period OF ten years. When add To ihis the
| further iufo, mat;en that we have good city
| .oyernment free schoOs that are exc ptiOngIly
etficent that our city IS paved, well Lighted and
In every respect desirable rs a place Of resi-
| d nee; that our climate is genial; the cost
of living remarkably low our water snp-
| ply fret class ia every respect; and on
sanitary condition such that bills Of NOR
| tally compare most fav raby with the mo t fay.
| ored tow sites in tn, country. What more cmu
you ask Arc not thoso considerations pat,n'i
We are sure you will say yes. Very vol, than,
| gentlemen, make them known. Csc influ-
encs TO enforce them Live no longer in the past.
Make tho most of the prosont and push for tho fu.
ture.
But you will say, Whist hs7 tho Board of Trade
done since it, organization Two years ago? We
cannot tell You all We have dcn3 but We IL kco~
this that unimproved property in your city has
advanced from so 10 POO per cent. We do know
there is evidence in your city OF spirit OF prog
ress and advancement 10 Gh ch it wsi heretofore
a stranger We do know that the attention OF
people outside OF Alexandra has been enlisted AID
turned to al investigation Of her advantages as
never before. Wo do know that m.uy and Ssl l.
able enterprises have been insuguratcd and that
thsy al promise ;cess aud prosperity to ur CT
liens We d, know thst yoIr City Council have
esta ished IN your city an el ctric plant which is
eminently satisfactory, oil d that the general tore
of public opinion is decidedly in favor of p:o&r+s.
sion. We do know that trere ha+ boon es ablish
ed, By the direct agency OF tho Board. a hoo fac
tory which gives emp oy meut 10 % hands and
that promises to he great succe 8. And We DO
lieve that the so-rd he's accused All interest in
railroad x ensOn which vii! sooner CT s,or Ike
our port again ar-as shipping depot for that
most desirable and prof able of business ent,
pr,ses viz: the handling sni shipping OF vast
amt ITS of coal and minerals. We believe that
by tn effortI aud i. 1aence of this body wo
alb ed to, and will, present to the people of thi,
country the advantage of the CT y as they have
n. yer been presented before. We know that We
have been able to az uut many mattois of msnn-
Outstanding and difference bctSeon the members
OF the Board and spartstion companies.
and haze greatly r,duc d The friction Heretofore
existing. We know that your Board haa rccogri-
ton f =, IN the Nat iihal Board OF Trade and hss,s
tablshet AID maintained fri ndiy relations with
msny of the bosrds AID chambers OF coamercc in
rho hat nj all nDeStidns of 3tata mad