The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-14
THE TARIFF ASSOCIATION


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A Good Work Being Accomplished
for Wilmington - Ofieers Elected.
General Manager Kyle Reelected.
Weekly Meeting by the Directors
The Wilmington Tariff Association
held its annua meeting yesterday az
ternoon at 4 o'clock at its rooms in the
Seaboard Air Line building. having ad-
journed over from March 9th.
President j. Allen Taylor called the
meeting 10 order, and Mr.. NJ. W. ia
cobb, the secretary, was at his post
The following members OF the asso-
citation were in attendance: President
j. Allen Taylor, Vice President D. L.
Gore, Secretary NJ. w. jacob, Treasu-
rer c. w. Worth, General Manager
James Kyle. Captain w. r. Kenan,
Colonel F. w. Kerchner. Colonel Walk
er Taylor and Messrs. F. E. Hashagen,
MUCH MacRae. William Calder, Philan
der Pearsall, B. T. Hall, G. J.. Boney,
1. NJ. Bear, J. C. Stevenson. c. E. Bor-
den, H. w. Malloy, John E. Grow, n.
jacob, w. Z. Worth, William Gill
christ, George r. French, R. w. Hicks,
Gabriel Holmes, W. B. Cooper, Aubrey
Parsley, ]. NJ. Solky, ]. w. Murchison,
H. A. Burr, C. E. Borden and c. w.
Worth.
On motion Mr.. ]. C. Stevenson was
called to the chair and Mr.. d. l.. Gore
was requested to act as secretary.
On motion, Captain w. r. Kenan and
Messrs. George r. French and Philan-
der Pearsall were appointed a commit
tee TO ascertain the number of shares
Ya va tod IThnyr nnnrfnd rhnr 900
shares out of SCI were represented in
person and by proxy, and that a quo
rum was represented.
Secretary jacob then read President
Taylor's annual report, which upon
motion of Mr.. Hugh MacRae, was or
dered to be spread upon the minutes.
and published in the city press.
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT.
The report of the president was
greeted with applause and was as fol-
lows:
To the Stockholders of the Wilmington
Tariff Association:
The annual meeting of the aSsocia-
ton was called for the first Monday in
March, in of a provision of
the constitution, but a quorum failing
to be present, the directors adjourned
the meeting to this date. In presenting
my report it has been deemed advisable
W lOQCll Ol III "Olh VI III dSSOCld-
ton for the year in a very general way,
leaving the more detailed statement of
affairs to the general manager, whose
very full report demonstrates at Once
both his fitness and industry.
The Wilmington Tariff Association
can be said to be a capitalization of he
conviction of u business community
that the only hope for it's commercial
future lay in the direction of the ad-
juStment Of freight rate inequalities
which have for so long operated to
discriminate against his city. The
disadvantages under which we now
labor are no more oppressive in respect
Of specific inequalities than have been
endured for upward Of twenty years,
but the practical effect has been more
keeniy felt as from year to year our
competitors own holder with each
success achieved in encroachments on
Wilmington territory, and made strong
er by the acquisition of trade belong
ing geographically to this city, have
finally so limited the scope of territory
in which we can compete successfully
as to pre-eXempt h larger and rich
portions of the CarOlinas to their al
most exclusive trade. Especially is
this true of our own state, n the
spectacle is presented of Virginia cit
les, by virtue alone Of the arbitrary
| adjustments of the associated railways,
| exploiting his commonwealth for their
| own u~pbuilding to the cost of the
| states Only seaport.
On entering upon the discharge of
their duties the board of directors and
the general anage applied them
selves to ascertain the true situation
| and to develop the legal remedies in the
| premises. By the industry and knowl-
! edge of traffic affairs brought to the
prosecution Of this work by our gen.
eral manager, the field was accurately
surveyed, and material gathered which
| when properly arranged and classified
made up cases for both state and fed
eral adjudication pronounced by COM
| petent attorneys to be certain OF sue
cessful issue before an unpreJudiced
court.
While several complaints have been
satisfied and petitions granted by the
North Carolina railroad commission,
we found the fusion commissioners who
controlled the board so incompetent
and biased as to render further effort
before them futile. The most important
case brought to their attention Yves
that of "Class rates." which involved
the remova of determinations on gen.
eral articles Of to the centra
and western portions of the state
which, if granted, would have enabled
Wilmington to compete for trade ir
these sections of the state on eQua
terms with Norfolk; that is, business
originating at Wilmington would have
paid the same rater per pound pei
mile as business originating at Nor.
folk, whereas under the present ad.
justment, Wilmington pays On the basis
indicated an average Of 80 per cent
over Norfolk. This case was carried
to the commissioners in July, and af.
ter repeated promises to hear it tn
case was finally dismissed on the
ground that the weather was too no
to attempt to unravel so intricate &
question. The promise, however, Wa.
made that with the advent of colo
weather the petition, if renewed
would be heard. But alas! with colo
weather came the election and the in,
tricate question is still unraveled. Thi!
case is cited as an example Of the
treatment received at the hands o.
this incompetent commission. In tn,
face Of such a condition it was though
the part of wisdom to abandon all eff
forts to obtain relief from his sourc,
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