El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-07
THE CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
The Old Officers All Con-
tinued in Office.

Ilnu6O III UliiCo,
A TELEPHONE QUESTION
Started Hot Argument That Went
On Even After Adjournment
Hot Shot For the Old Company
Mineral And School Exhibits
Suggested-The Sidewalk CUES
ton.
The chamber OF commerce met las,
night with a good attendance for the
adjourned annual meeting.
President Prudential calling the
meeting to order stated the object was
the election of officers as required by
the bylaw. 1t had been necessary in
the charter to state that the directors
should serve one year but this could be
gotten over by having the directors re-
sign and hold q new election. Mr..
Freudentt al also informed the mem
bers that the charter had been re-
ceived.
MEMBERSHIP AND FINANCE.
Secretary Russell reported the en-
rollment of 231 members of which num-
Der a dozen or fifteen had dropped out
leaving a net membership of 215. The
secretary's financial report showed
1886 collected in dues and mem bership
fees and disbursements Sl41.6O.
Treasurer Stevens report showed
total receipts since the organization of
the cham Der $3.50: total disbursements,
S226.60: balance on hand, S633 40.
President Prudential congratulated
the Organization On the excellent
showing made by the two re-
ports.
OLD DIRECTORS ELECTED.
The report being disposed of, the
cham Der took up the election of di-
rectors. Secretary Russell read the
names of the present board. and a. P.
Coles moved that they be reelected,
Saying he did not believe any better
men could be secured.
Here difficulty presented itself and
the chamber spent considerable time
chewing the rag" as to how the vote
should be cast. The bylaws required
it to be by ballot, and w. .. Nc
CutcheOn moved that the secretary be
instructed to cast the ballot of all pres
emit for the old board.
A. 2. Coles moved to take a rising
vote on the question.
c. W. Browne was in favor of a
ballot in order that each member
might feel at liberty to vote as he
pleased.
w. S. Stewart objected to this and
said that in view OF the short time the
board had served the position of Mr..
Browne was not we'll taken.
President Freudenthsl was of the
opinion that less talk and more action
wonJd be good thing and the election
could be held during tie time wasted
in discussion.
A. P. Coles said he would withdraw
his motion if desired but he was con-
WINGED there was not man In the
room who would not vote for the pres
ent board.
W. 81. Burgess offered as a substitute
motion that a vote be taken on the
question, Resolved that it Is the sense
of the mem bers of the chambe of com |
merce that no change be made in the |
board of directors.
President Prudential said the only |
question was that the board did not |
wish to take any advantage OF the fact
that the charter named them as dir
ectors for the year whereas under the
by laws they we're only elected for
thirty days. He was in favor of the
motion of Mr.. Burgess which was
seconded and unanim ously passed.
BRIDGERS'S LETTER.
The election being disposed of Pres
ident Freud nthal asked if there was
any further business.
Secretary Russell then read the
following letter from Representative
Bridgers.
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 3 1900.
Ernest E. Russell Secretary Chamber
Of Commerce, Ell Paso, Texas.
DEAR SIR: l am in receipt Of your
favor of the first instant informing me
of the action of the chamber of COM
MERGE at its recent meeting called for
the purpose of considering the tax bill
entatives. l beg to assure that [ have
been, and am now, giving the bill 7
careful consideration as to its effect
upon the interests of the state in gen.
eral and Ell Paso in particular. 1t
shall be my purpose to earnestly OPP
pose any feature of the bill that would
burden the Industrial
favor of affording capital every res-
sOnable iuducement to seek Texas for
profitable fields OF investment, and it
will be my pleasure to give due and
respectful consideration to such
as your COM
mittee may decide to make. But if
you will allow me to make
the sugges tion 1 would ex-
press the opinion that the
sending of a committee to Austin would
be useless expense and waste OF time,
inasmuch as the committee has COM
pleted lite consideration OF the bill and
all the interests affected by the bill
have already made known to the COM
mittee the Objectionable features.
A BILE debators will present all phases
of the question on the floor of the
house and l presume all the members
Of the house have practically concluded
what course they will pursue. [ do
not think there is as much danger of