The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-03-30
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
IMPORTANT tANNU4E MEETING
 HELD LAST NIGHT.

Max Adler Elected President-Commtt
 tee With Reference to Reduction O
 State Expenditures and New System ol
 Legislative Representation Appointed
 Proposed Harbor Improvements. The fifty-ninth annual meeting of the
 New Haven chamber of commerce was | held last night, and number of mat ters of considerable importance were
 disposed of. Officers for the ensuing
 year were elected as follows:
 | President-Max Adler.
 First vice president-General E. F,
 Bradley.
 Second vice president-George B.
 Martin.
 Secretary-John c. Gallagher | Treasurer-Herbert c. Warren. Trustees-Joel A. Sperry, Charles l.. Baldwin, w. s. Wells, Henry c. Rowe and Wilson H. Lee.
 | Before retiring from the chair Cen eral Ford made short speech in which
 he took occasion to thank all members S of the different standing committees and
 all members of the chamber for their hearty cooperation and for their court esies and loyalty during his three suc- cessive terms of office.
 On accepting the chair, the new presi- dent, Max Adler, said: "I thank you sincerely, gentlemen, for the distn-
 guished honor which you have conferred
 upon me. I don't know that l am fully
 equal to the task, but with the support
 n Dp1 o1 nf ton. ,l ,,f,,
 fellow officers I trust that I shall be
 able to fill this most honorable office in
 satisfactory manner. l shall defer extended remarks as to what the cham
 Der ought to do and expects to do dur ing the coming year"
 As chairman of the standing commit tee on harbors, Henry c. Rowe read lengthy paper detailing the work of the various committees appointed by vari- ous local organizations with reference to the passage by congress of the bill making an appropriation of $345,00o for the Improvement of New Haven harbor MT, Rowe explained in just what man. ner it was proposed to improve the har- bor and in what ways the commerce of the city of New Haven and surrounding  He said that In the entire past history of the city only $240,000 has been ex- pended in improvements of the harbor. This has been at the rate of about $7,50O year. He read letter from Major Leach of the United States Engineering corps which has prepared the specified tions for the improvements, in which he said that it would be some time yet before the work could be begun because of the red tape of the government in the matter of receiving and accepting bids for the same
 On motion the thanks of the chamber were extended to Senators Hawley and Platt, Congressman Sperry, Mayor Farnsworth, Henry c. Rowe, General George H. Ford, all members of com mittees, and others who have interested in the action to have the bill for the appropriation passed by congress.
 A communication in the nature of q resolution from the Hartford Board Of Trade, with reference to the proposed reduction of state expenditures, or which Major Barnes of this city IS a member, was received, It recited the fact that the expenditures of the state could be reduced by about $4OO,ooo as result of the abolishment of a number of bureaus and offices in the state, and also that the state receipts from the towns would not be adequate for the of all bills. To provide for this latter matter it was proposed in the resolution that the old town tax, which l was laid on all towns up to few years ago, be again imposed, On motion a | of five was appointed to the chamber before the com mittee of the general assembly, and | urge the adoption of the recommends | tions as made by the state committee | on receipts and expenditures. It was also voted to send a copy of this reso- ution to all the other boards of trade In the state and urge that they take similar action This committee is con- posed of General George M, Ford, Gen. sral E. D. Bradley, Simeon J, Fox Cap ain S. P. Crafts and Henry c. Rowe
 A, Mcclellan Matthewson explained lis plan for revision of the system now employed in the selection of rep 'esentatives to the state legislature. This plan was drafted some time ago ,y MT. MattheWson and is one of the our plans now being considered by he legislative committee. In brief 1t provides for the election of one repre- entatlve for towns having a popula- ion of 5000, two for all towns having population of 10000, and one for each 0,000 inhabitants of the larger cities his method, if adopted, will cause the membership of the house to be about orty less than at present which he tated would reduce the expenditures nd give opportunity for more conser- { ative and reasonable legislation in nany respects. His plan seemed to { rect with considerable favor among hose present, and in consequence res lution was adopted whereby a commit 7e of, three was appointed to adopt asolutions embodying what is thought , be the best method for accomplishing ne desired ends This committee as