The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-18
Only One Board of Trade.

Only One Board of Trade.
Now that the new board OF trade
building is soon to be occupied 1t seems
timely to suggest merging or the va
rious sectional boards into this one in
1luential central organization, or at least
the abandonment by these minor asso-
Citations of ther present misleading
titles. 1t is entirely proper for the
West Side. the South Side, the North
End or any other portion of the city To
have its Improvement OF other society,
to look after that sections interests IN
the matter of paving, sewers, bridges
and the like. In this direction much
good can result But it is an obvious
drawback to have the city OF scranton
listed before the world in national dl-
rcctories as possessing three or four
boards of trade. 1t might as well go
on record as having three or four city
halls, three or four mayors. three or
four councilmanic assemblies. or three
or four separate school boards. n
board of trade Is supposed to stand Tor
the entire community in which 1t Is
located. II ought to have the active
support of the entire business inter-
ests of the community. Instead or
standing for division Of effort it should
stand for unity; there can be no higher
mission for such an institution than
to work for the upbuilding of the whole
-. 81 l;,,ry tnu ~ a
the city's parts.
1t has happened several times with
in our knowledge that industries look
ing for new sites have been influenced
adversely with reference to Scranton
by the receipt of overtures from two or
three so-called boards of trade" each
claiming to represent Scranton enter
prise The manufacturer at distance
cannot be expected to comprehend the
fact that only one of these boards Is
real board of trade in the full sense of
the term while the others represent
mainly the cooperative ambitions OF
certain sections for recognition before
councils and in other purely local direc-
tions. He assumes from the appear
ance of things that the business men OF
Scranton are split up into jealous fac
tions, and he not unnaturally concludes
that he does not care to cast his lot
amidst such factionists. Such damag-
ing consequences to the city as a unit
are not counterbalanced by any sec
tional benefits arising from divisional
NO o,I, In ant,l1 1n inst
much good for their respective parts of
the city as Improvement societies; in
deed, they could do more good, for then
the main board could work in greater
freedom and could produce correspond
ingly better results.
1t should be the endeavor of the broad
minded business men Of the North End,
of Hyde Park and of the South Side to
help on the amalgamation Of the busi-
ness interests of these localities and to
work continually for municipal unity.
In no other way can they make pos
sble the city's further growth along
lines of permanency and systematic
development. When the Scranton
board of trade moves into its handsome
new home, we should like to see the
event commemorated by a joining of
sectional hands and a solemn dedica-
ton of the energies of that institution
to the promotion Of the best interests OF
the entire community. This can be done
II the gentlemen who form the member
ship Of the sectional boards will enter
tain the foregoing suggestions in the
spirit in which they are offered.
The new combine" would sooner let
the state-at-larEe have the next speak,