The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-03
the BOARD OF TRADE MEETING.
Matters ola General Character
Discussed Last Night.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Question was
Not Touched Upon-The Needs of
Small Industries Freely Dlscusscd-N.
IL. Johnston Makes an Excellent Adj
dress-J. Allen Watts and James s.
Simmons Also Speak.

The regular monthly meeting OF ths
o'ard of trade was held last evening in
the Council chamber. The apathy OF.
the business people was commented
upon In their relations to the board by
several members in their speeches.
Tho session commenced promptly at
o'clock, with N. b Johnston in the
chair. After the reading of the minutes
or the previous meeting q short debate
TOOK place In regard to the propriety OF
bringing up the silver bill rs q subject
OF discussion Tor the next meeting. No
ayes or nays bling taken the next meet
ing will be general in its character.
Mr.. Johnston resigned the chair to-
Jas. s. Simmons and delivered very
instructive speech upon mining, agri-
culture and roads, upon which subjects
he 10 familiar, as chairman of the COM
mittee devoted to these interests, Mr..
Johnston spoke Of the first meeting he
over attended twenty three years ago.
1t was where the subject of the intro
duction CT the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad into Lynchburg was the i'm
portant feature, and how towns and
cities were improved by competition.
lie referred to the statement made By
an engineer that there Is four times as
much ore in Buchanan county as there
is in the entire State of Alabama. He
read an article from the Iron Age which
reports favorably upon the mineral in
terests OF Virginia and claims that it
mas Almost so per cent. of tho foreign
mineral used in the manufacture OF
steel.
On agrlcultures Mr.. Johnston spoke
of the high quality of tho soil of South
western Virginia and the lack of neces-
sary farming implements. On roads he
spoke tersely and recited statistics,
where on English roads horse can
drag four times the amount it can in
this country. In speaking of this sec
ton OF the country the most marvellous
thing in connection with it was the i'm
mense waste.
speech. he stated that no believed in
introducing new Industries into Roam
oke, and believed tina. each individual
shcu' d subscribe TO 1t and aud paw for
1t. &c stated that there had been q
proneness on the part of the people to
subscribe, but lack of inclination to
pay for tho fostering OF new industries.
He favored the idea OF helping the
smaller industries, and In support OF
his argument said that number OF
industries representing capital of half
- hAAA'AAoit WOAo VI y IChtcE OGuGHG Gnhu u
largo industry representing the same
capital.
He advocated the shirt factory, which
Is on foot, and said that there was a
probability of a factory for the manu-
facturo Of the coarser grade OF wearing
apparel He also spoke OF tho output
Of the box factory being used by tho
Norwich Lock Works and advocated
another factory. Mr.. Watts also spoke
of the advantages OF these small indus
tries in giving employment TO young
women. In closing he appealed to the
board to protect and foster such indus.
tries and work on the small and broad
basis.
James S. Simmons next spoke as sol-
lows:
~ wish to say that the ono thing
can never understand is why no one is
interested in the board of trade. thing
tho citizens of Roanoke are moro enter-
prising than any other people in the
South, yet at our meetings we only have
slim attendance. IL we can survive
the boom which affected all of the towns
of Southwest tern Virginia we will find it
a blessing in disguise, as Roanoke will
be practically without opposition"
lie spoke Of the apathy of the bust
ness people Of Roanoke and hoped that
there would be- batter attendance in
the future.
The meeting was then adjourned UNI
til tho first Thursday in April.