The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-12
HE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

ors to Meet for Business Next Monday
Night
The Merchants Association met last
night at $50 o'clock at the Red Mems
hall. on North Front street. for the
g~anization.
Mr.. ID. c. Whitfield. the chairman, pre-
sided. and Mr.. James II. Cowan acted
as secretary.
After the object Of the meeting a
been explained, Major W. a. Johnson.
OF the committee appointed to draft the
constitution and bylaws. made a re-
port. For the benefit of those who
were not present when the constitution
was adopted. he read the constitution
and a set OF bylaws which had been
drafted and were submitted by the
committee.
On motion the bylaws were read one
at a time. and after discussion they
were adopted, as follows.
ARTICLE Injecting.
Section 1. The regular annual meet
ing shall be held the second Monday in
October of each year.
Sec. ,. \ special meeting may be call
&c by the president upon a written
request of five members.
Sec. 3. The president or vice president
and six directors shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
ARTICLE U-ORDER OF BUSINESS.
L. Reading minutes of previous meet
ing.
2. Unfinished business.
3. Reports of committees.
4. Reports of secretary and treasurer.
;. New business.
6. Reading and correction OF minutes.
Z. Adjournment.
ARTICLE III.
Section /. The membership fee shall
be S 800.
Sec. .. The monthly dues shall be so
cents per month, payable on the 10th
Of each month.
ARTICLE ".
1t shall be the duty, and obligatory
upon every m of the association.
to furnish the secretary n treasurer
a list of unpaid accounts on his books.
past due four months.
The election of a board of directors
was then declared in order, and on mo-
ton of Mr.. Sol. Sternberger the associ-
alton went into the election of a board
of directors to consist Of eleven, ac-
cOrding to the constitution.
The following were placed in nomina-
ton from the floor and were elected
directors for the ensuing year: Messrs.
George r. French s. II. FiShblate, w.
E. Worth, w. A. Johnson, d. G. Whit
ted, William NESTLE, NJ. w. jacob, D..
c. Love, j. F. Carroll, Martin Schnib-
ben and j. H. Thomas.
1t was expressed as the sense Of the
meeting that a permanent secretary
be employed at a reasonable salary. to
receive and make up lists OF bad pay
ing customers furnished by individual
merchants and to collect such accounts
as may be entrusted to him.. 1t was
engage a room n open a permanent
Office for the association and as head
quarters for the secretary.
After discussing in a general way the
object Of the association and the ben
efits to be derived from it by the bust
ness community in particular and the
city in general, Mr.. Fishblate urged the
association to taxi steps to inaugurate
a series of cheap excursions to the city
from along all the lines Of railway. He
stated that Charleston and Richmond
had adopted this plan Of drawing bust
ness to their cities. and Wilmington
merchants would. in his opinion, find
it would be a paying investment. He
suggested the Richmond plan Of char
tering trains alternately on all the
railroads, one on one o one week
and n on another the next week. ETC.,
h merchants paying the charter price
and putting round trip tickets at Q
very low price. and making up the de-
felt in the charter amount il there is
any.
Mr.. Fishblate suggestion was hearth
ly endorsed, and 1t will come up later
for the consideration Of the directors.
The association then adjourned, after
which h directors held an informal
conference and agreed to call q meet
ing of the board on next Monday
night.
After the adjournment Of the meet
ing, several OF those present subscrib-
ed to the bylaws and became men,
ho-~ 80