The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-31
BUSINESS men MEET
The Annual Election Of Officers Of the
Business Mems Association.
COL. HERRY'S ENCOURAGING REPORT.
The Work Accomplished During the
Past Year by the Association-An
Important Letter From Mr.. waiter
Shmrp-A Large Number Enjoyed
the Annual Banquet.

! ShirTp-A luTsc buIOy Gu
the Annual Banquet.
The annual meeting of the Business
| Mems Association was held in the rooms
of the organization last night. Colonel
| L. NJ Henry. the President. presided.
The reading of the minutes of the
last quarterly meeting was dispensed
with, after which the standing commit
tees made their reports. The Committee
on Membership reported seventy four
new members, during the year. q net
increase In membership OF forty:seven
The annual report of the President
was then read by Col. Henry, as fol-
| lows
For the fifth time YOU have assem-
blcd In annual meeting. to hear the
reports OF your officers and committees.
and for election of officers The past
year has gone with its sunshine and
shadows, its bright expectation and fond
hopes. bringing happy returns to some
and bitter disappointment to others.
1t opened with the prospects of pros
porous and happy New Year Crops
promised well and with good prices.
Mines. furnaces and factories, which
had closed and shut down. re-opened:
labor was employed. and in many in
stances. wages were advanced and n
spirit Of revival of business generally
v.
the summer had ended. clouds OF disap-
pointment and distrust had appeared.
crops had suffered from serious and
unprecedented drought; low prices
prevailed and dull times had begun to
be felt.
The trucking interests. one of the
| largest and most important bringing to
our section six million dollars and up
wards, suffered the most and largely f.
fected the great numbers OF laborers
and farmers.
Il am pleased to note the increase In
| your membership and thanks are due
! the energetic chairman and Jealous
work of that committee. Your several
committees hqve promptly performed
the duties assigned them The influence
i OF this association has steadily grown,
being recognized as always exerting for
the good, welfare and advancement Of
our cty's interest, giving literally of
your time and work. 1t Is sometimes
asked, and not always in n friendly
spirit, What have you donc?'
Permit ne to briefly mention some OF
the efforts made by this association in
the interests of our city during the past
year, and though success did not crown
each enueaVor, this association did it's
Fart literally. You appointed Il COM
mittec to inquire into and propose plans
Tor the establishing of cotton mills.
This committee acted promptly and
though they built no mills. their work
will still be valuable information a
committee was appointed to act In con-
cert with our merchants. TO establish Il
line OF steamers to the Rappahannock
river, whose people were anxious to
trade with Norfolk. and sent fine body
OF representative gentlemen here to
confer with us, and which IL was your
pleasure TO entertain. Your commit
Tee worked faithfully anu we'll and /
think | Will be sustained in saying the
effort failed for want of proper in
terest by the merchants. who were the
parties chiefly to be benefited by IL
You entertained n club OF Eastern gen
tlemen, representing large interests In
milling manufactures. East. You gave
hem much information with regard tc
the advantages of the South and your
Immediate section, as regards labor, cost
of material, rapid and cheap transporta.
ton to all sections of the country. and
n which they took much interest and
we're greatly pleased You promptly
endorsed the application of the Travel
ers' Protective Association to the Sout h.
ern Railway Passenger Association, fol
the issue Of interchangeable mileage
tickets, and you promptly received II
favorable reply. You have a committee
to confer with the bureau of Naviga.
ton. With suggestions as to dividing
lines between the high seas rivers
iarbors and inland waters This is Il
Work oil grave Importance to our city
both as to our harbor. it's approa chcs
and the great water highways of Tide
water.
You published Book OF Norfolk
is Past. Present and Future con- piled
by your worthy member Mr.. Walter
Sharp. containing valuable inrorma.
ton with regard TO the advantages of.
fered by Norfolk for the establishment,
of industries and the Investment OF
capital, and the success OF the indus
tries established is the best warrant
for others.
Your committee appointed to conre,
with the City Councils for furtherinu
the movement of inducing the Southern
Railway Company TO make Norfolk its
deep-water terminal, did efficient ana
faithful work.
The Councils dealt literally with the
company and the result is that the
Southern Railway Company has its ter
minal on our harbor. ard its Offices and
wharves in our city, and is daily run
ming it's cars, heavily loaded from its
J trunk lines and branch lines of over
| 5000 miles, into your port. 1t is un-
| der contract to make no discrimina ton
| in regard TO rates against Norfolk, and
In evidence of its good faith, as soon
ss their attention was called as to the
| rates to Il lew points by this association
| which had been overlooked in it's new
hurried schedule, they promptly made
the change, and also gave rates to points