The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-12-31
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MATTERs DISCUSSED At THE REGU-
LAR ME- ETING LAST NIGHT.


Enterprise Should be Encouraged.
The regular monthly meeting of the
chamber of commerce was held last
evening" the attendance being unusual
ly large for a meeting of the chamber
held at this season of the year. Pres
ident George H. Ford was in the chair
and after the preliminaries the follow
ing named gentlemen We're elected to
membership: Harold M. Howard,
George A. Pickett, Franklin B. Shuster
and e. l.. Dove.
The executive committee then report
ed and recommended that the question
propounded by the Trades league Of
Philadelphia in regard to so amending
the United States constitution SO that
the presidents term of office should be
increased to six years and that the
president should be Ineligible for two
consecutive terms, be answered in the
affirmative. The committee made the
same recommendation concerning
like communication regarding the Of
flee of vice president and further rec
members be appointed to attend the
monetary convention to be held in In
dianapolis, January II, 1897, and that
an appropriation of $3.50 be made to
defray the necessary expenses of the
members of such a committee. The
recommendations We're accepted and
adopted.
Mr.. Cowles spoke against the pro-
posed amendment to the constitution
and offered intsead a. resolution pro-
posing change which would place the
federal executive power in the hands
of a federal council of seven members,
from whose number the president
and vice president should be elected for
terms Of one year. The original reso-
luton, however, prevailed.
The object of the monetary conven-
ton to be held in Indianapolis was ex-
planned to the chamber as being to con-
slider such legislation as may be nee
essary to place the currency system of
the country on a sound and perma-
nent basis, the members Of the con-
vention to be representative business
men chosen from boards of trade Or
chambers of commerce of places of over
5000 inhabitants, according to the cen
sus of 1890.
Another resolution offered by the
executive committee provided that the
executive committee be authorized to
procure whatever legislation may be
found necessary in order to enable the
chamber to acquire land and erect
chamber of commerce building in New
Haven. The resolution was adopted.
The report of the committee on new
enterprises was next in order and the
chairman Of that committee, after
stating that the committee had assum-
ed that a part of it's duty is to en-
courage enterprises which have been
established in the city for years, said
that the attention of the committee
had been called to the suit now pending
in the courts againt the M. Seward &
Sons Co., instituted by some of the
residents of Lake Place, alleging that
in the operation of a drop necessary to
their business, the company maintains
a nuisance. After stating that it is not
in the province of the committee to
enter into the merits or dement's of
the matter the. report advised that the
people who instituted the one against
the Consolidated road on account of the
alleged smoke nuisance from locomo-
tives consider these matters on
broader ground, as both of these cor
porations employ large numbers of me-
chanics and are, therefore, a benefit to
the whole city.
The report also suggests that it
would be considered a great loss Should |
either of these companies be forced to
move to- other places and if we want /
industries from outside to locate here |
we cannot, as a community afford to
allow the impression to go abroad that .
New Haven ill-uses manufacturers al |
ready within her borders. The COM |
mittee counsels caution and consider
tion of our mutual interests before re-
sorting to steps that may result in
loss to the city.
Charles F. Bates of the committee on
railroads and transportation next spoke
of the high charges made on New Eng
land manufacturers for the transporta-
tion of their goods. He stated that
scrap iron was taken from Portland,
Me-, to Harrisburg, Pa, as cheaply as
it is brought from Portland to New
Haven. This is the rate at present,
put not long ago the rate TO New t1a-
ven was higher than that to Harris
burg, and when an equal rate was Sc
cured by New Haveners it was con-
sidered a. great concession. Mr.. Bates
also said that it had been proven that
goods could be transported from Ger
many to New York and American in
land cities as cheaply as they can be
from New England cities.
Ralph j. Miner also spoke on the
matter and Felix Chillingworth moved
that the subject be laid on the table, to
be brought up for extended discussion
at the next monthly meeting of the
chamber.
The following resolutions were offer
ed and referred to the committee on
affairs:
Resolved, That the future conVen-
ience of New Havens commerce re-
quires that all lands lying in front of
public streets which extend to tide wa
ter, within the town of New Haven, ;
should be reserved for the use of the
public.
Resolved, That this chamber of COM
merce petition the general assembly
which is to convene in January to pass
an act reserving to the public use so
much of the mud flats which lie be-
meath the tide water in New Haven
larbor as lie in front of any street or
l. II