The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1893-03-24
The Lake Charles Beard OF
Trade.

AE@AGe
This institution has just completed It's frat
years work, and because there has been no
Hsurish Of trumpets, no ostentation on the
part Of its members, the general supposition
IS that little has been accomplished by this
body. We desire to correct this erroneous
impres ion, and give credit to whom credit
is due, and for this purpose we have sought
information on few points from the presi-
dent.
In the first place, the Board has been
handicapped from the beginning for want Of
fupSs, For this reason It has had no official
organ, no money to pay for printing, and at
this time owes It's secretary for whole years
services, and his Iabors, by the way, have
been by no means light. He has attended 10
a vast amount Of correspondence, and fur
nished the statistics required In order to
secure the harbor appropriation, aud the
same thing VIII be required Of him again this
year. The statistics we refer to are those
required 10 be furnished the engineer, Of the
volume Of commerce Of all descriptions
whatsoever to be increased or enhanced by
the improvement asked for, and very natur-
ally 1t follows that the more full and com
plete these statistics are, and the larger the,
aggregate, the better they serve the purpose
and the larger the appropriation. It is
needless to say that the secretary has done
his work well and Is entitled to his pay.
Notwithstanding the disadvantages under
which the Board has labored, It has not been
al. AZ. 4ha Hnat
year are by no means small. It Is not vain
boosting to say that the appropriation Of
$4,000 for the harboF was largely due to
the efforts Of the Board, and the work on the
inner bar is being aided very largely by the
Lumbermen's Association, which has been a
strong ally of the B. of 7.
The building Of the large rice mill here
was accomplished largely through the instru-
mentality of the Board of Trace. There are
also some other schemes alresdy projected
BY the Board which are yet in embryo, and
of which it is not desirable to speak Of a.
length at this time, The president has few
suggestions which we are happy to make
known through the ECHO, and we wish ia
state in this connection that the Board may
have access TO cur columns without money
and without price, whenever matters come
up Of general interest to our readers
which arc intended to enhance the Interests
Of our city. This Of course has no reference
to such notices and publications as are gen
orally paid for, but the ECHO is the paper Of
the people and for the people.
Among other things the president suggests
that some notifications Of the charter are
necessary and should be submitted to the
stockholders. He further suggests that the
stockholders meet at least once in three
months to hear from their officers, TO crit.
else them for their short comings, and praise
them when they have merited cOmmeuda-
ton. This would bring all nearer together
and make their mutual efforts much more
success ful,
There are many things to be attempted
during the coming year which will need the
cooperation of all our citizens. The efforts
for river and harbor Improvement have but
Just begun, and it is only by united Effort
that the end ia view can be accomplished
The work of dozen or OF score Of indiVid-
uals would be almost futile: all must work.
Truck farming or market gardening should
be investigated and II found to be sufficient"
ly profitable should be encouraged. The
matter of roads and bridges should also
engage the attention of the Board at an early
day, for If we wish to become great COM
mercial center we must provide easy and IN
expensive approaches to the city. As It is ut
present, large section whose trade is nat,
urally tributary to us is diverted to Other
places on account Of bad roads, want o.
bridges, aud excessive ferry charges. There
are many other things that, in our opinion
could be proftably undertaken by the Board
Of Trade besides those things suggested b
the president, but we Will reserve them for
future article, and close BY saying that tot
much praise cannot be awarded the BoarS
for what It has accomplished in the face Q
obstacles which would have discouraged
men of less determination and indomitabl'
energy. There are hundreds Of our citizen
who have hitherto held aloof, who shoult
now come to the front and aid in making
Lake Charles city Of fifty thousand peopl
before the dawn Of the twentieth century.