The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-02-03

ma Commercial Club WAS called to order
Tuesday night by Hon. Edward Whitson,
president, and after the reading of the
minutes OF the last meeting he called fol
the reports Of the secretary and treasurer
sEcRETARY's REPORT.
The Yakima Commercial club has com.
pleted its fourth year and stands to-day
as one of the substantial institutions oil
the community and is recognized abroad
as leading factor in tie development oil
Yakima county. 1t has been a conspic.
uous object lesson to visitors among us,
who in nearly every instance express
surprise that 80 small place can sup.
port so strong business mans club,
and even the press Of the state occasion.
ally refers to it in very complimentary
terms, the following clipping from an
exchange being fair sample:
Yakima is conceded by travelling men
and others in position to know to be
the best interior town in the state, and
her citizens give her Commercial club
credit for large share of her prosperity
1t has been maintained through all the
dull times and has never neglected an
opportunity to work for the interests OF
the town.
The year that is just passed has been
the quietest in the history of the club,
but the work done and good accomplish
cd are by no means small and the results
promise to be far reaching.
Perhaps no more important matter has
been taken 10 hand by the Club at any
time than the building of wagon road
to the Gold Hill mining district. This
was started by the Club at whose solicit
tation sufficient funds were pledged by
our business men and farmers to 90 q
long way toward building the road.
Largely as result of this work sufficient
state funds were appropriated to COM
plete the road and today the work is
nearly done and stands as a monument
to the energy and push OF the people of
Yakima County. AS trade avenue the
importance of this road to North Yski-
ma cannot be over estimated.
Realizing the fact that all OF Yskima's
interests depend on the products of the
soil the Club gladly assisted the North
ern Pacific Railway Go. in inducing
farmers all over the county to take part
in the sugar beet experiment that has
been so successful during the past year.
The results have been so satisfactory that
the State Agricultural College at Pullman
has seen fit to issue a special bulletin on
the subject showing the very high grade
of sugar beet that has been produced
here, and the establishment OF beet
sugar factory in this country is qnite
likely to follow in due time. Five hun.
dred of these bulletins have been bought
and will be carefully circulated where
they will do the most good.
The matter of establishing wool scour-
ing plant has been kept continually in
mind and no opportunity of securing this
much desired institution will be allowed
to escape; prompt steps were taken few
months ago to induce the county commits
sioners to appoint fruit inspector, and
he has since been endeavoring to enforce
the law regarding spraying, for which
many fruit gro sers will long be thankful
very pleasant reception was arranged
for large number Of visiting railway
postal clerks, which offered one of many
practical opportunities for advertising the
county that the Club has avsied itself
off; and in many other ways too numer-
GUS to mention, the good of the commun-
ity has been conserved.
Owing to the absence of large portion
of the Clubs membership on leave with
out dues and also to the fact that man,
Der OF our former members have moved
away permanently, the list of contribut-
ing members is smaller than ever before
and therefore the available funds have
been limited. No legacy of any sort has
been left US during the year but notwith-
standing these facts, the regular earnings
consisting OF dues and membership fees
have sufficied to pay all expenses, the
availah Ie assets being amply sufficient To