Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-14
CITIZENS TO MEET.
MATTERS or PUBLIC INTEREST TO
DE OPENLY DISCUSSED.
10 BUILD UP OUR ENTERPRISES.
Some stirring Speeches Made Along
This Line--How the Work of Inn
proving James River May lie
Brought About.

The FIRST quarterly meeting This year
of the Richmond Chamber OF Commerce
was held yesterday evening at o'clock.
President s. H. HAYES occupying the
chair Under the head OF reports OF
standing committees. Mr.. s. W. TraVers
In the absence Of the chairman OF the
Committee on Outward Trade. called at
tention TO the proceedings OF the COM
mittoe on Improvement OF James River
al its meeting on Wednesday, and 10 the
fact disclosed IN the letter or senator
Martin and Congressman Lamb ana the
letter Of General John ~. wilson, Chief
OF Engineers. United States army, that
under the present laws the appropriation
for the improvement Of James river can
not be used above the line where the
city limits cross the river. and offered a
motion similar TO that OF Mr.. Guy be-
fore the James River Improvement Com
mittec. to the eject that Senator Martin
and Congressman Lamb be requested 10
use their efforts 20 have the necessary
change made in the law when Congress
again considers the river and harbor BILL
In support Of his motion. Mr.. Travers
spoke most impressively about the Nalue
OF the river TO the commerce and indus
tries OF Richmond giving some very strik-
ING Illustrations from his own business 10
which he alluded. he said. only because
Il was most familiar 10 him, though he
confidently believed equally striking in
stances could be drawn from almost any
othr~ business In Richmond Mr.
Thomas Christian also advocated action
NV the Chamber. as he said that the
difficulty about improving the harbor
could be easily remedied by chanSlng
the language Of the law so as TO provide
FOR the Improvement of the river from
the head OF navigation. The Chali, IN
putting the question, also emphasized the
value of the river as a most important
factor 20 the city. after which the motion
was unanimously adopted.
Mr. r. H. Harwool. chairman Of the
Committee on Postal and Telegraph Ser
vice. reported the action OF his com
mittee I'm endorsing the request. Of the
Clearinghouse Association for the ne
cessary arrangements for an earlier de-
livery Of the morning mail from the
North which endorsement was gwen IN
"a letter addressed to the Postmaster
General emphasizing the importance or
10 the banks. but TO the business public
generally.
NEW MEMBERS CHOSEN.
Mr. C. d. Wingfeld. chairman Of the
Committee on Members. submitted re-
port Of the new members secured by the
regular and special committees, all OF
whom we're duly elected as follows:
Richmond Woodworking Company pro-
posed by c. ID. Wingfeld; Baptist & Saun-
ders. by J. L. Hill; DR.. @. Smith, by
Samuel Register: A. f. Sauerwald, by
Thomas +. Jeffress; Benjamin Cottrell *
Son. by Thomas r. Jeffress; Edward {.
Tinsley. by j. NJ. FOurdurean and ,.
Sycle; r. NJ. Workman & Co., Walter H.
Moses Co.. and Windham Boiling, by
". A. Crenshaw and l.. Il. Morris; Judge
II. A. Wiskham. Montgomery & Co. NJ
A. Goodman, Constable Brothers, John
T. Beaie. J. +. Barney. ID. A. Ainslie,
and T. w Chef. by J. w. Lockwood, Jr.;
Merchants National Bank. Milhiser Man
ufacturing Company, Thomas 5. VIM q
Co. and II Metzger's Sons, by G. ID.
Wingfeld; Dr. r. ID. Garcin, by l.. NJ.
Moore. S. /. Kelly. by W. a. Crenshaw;
ID. c. Richardson. by James Lyons; Bur
nett Lewis. by Leon Wallerstein; Robert
V. Marye, William II: Tatum; f. Il.
Patrick Company, John Z. Harding
Charles c. Brown. and Brauer Cattle
Company. by Membership Committee;
Philip O'Neill, by r. s. Christian; l.. H.
Jones & Co. by l.. II. jenkins.
In presenting these names Mr.. Wingfed
expressed regret that the various sub
committees had not been more active,
and that some of them had not sent in
the names Of candidates already secured
and urged these committees TO increase
their efforts to secure the 400 new mem
e1ap he
10 the Chamber. Messrs. +. II. Crump,
l.. II. jenkins. r. S. Christian. j. l..
Hill. and other members of the special
committee explained some of the diff
culties which they had encountered in
The work of getting new members. but
agreed 10 continue their efforts with the
hope that the public might be educated
as 20 the necessity Of united effort in the
Chamber for the accomplishment Of the
important purposes of the organization.
SUPERB LONG-DISTANCE SYSTEM.
Under the head Of new business. Mr..
Julian Bryant submitted the following re-
port in reference to the Long-Distance
Telephone Company. which was read for
the information of the meeting and filed;
To the Members of the Chamber of
Commerce Of the city of Richmond;
The undersigned each received the fol-
Richmond Va. March o. 1891
"An invitation having been given the
Chamber Of Commerce TO send a COM
nittee 10 New York for the purpose OF
witnessing the efficiency and working
Of the long-distance telephone. l. as
authorized by the Board of Directors
have appointed you a member of that
committee.
(signeD IS. II. HAYES
president"
ACCOMPANIED by Mr.. Clarence Young,
the representative of the Long-Distance
Telephone Company. we went TO New
York. The entire system was thrown
open to us. and we carried on converse
ton easily with parties i'm Boston. Lou
isvilie Washington. Worcester and
other points. and spent several days IN
vestigating the system. Coniining our
report strictly TO the terms OF our COM
mission. and summing up our views IN
q sentence. we report that we think
"the working and efficiency" OF the
Long Distance Telephone Company Is as
near perfect as human ingenuity can
make ii.
(SigneD w. o. SHELTON,