The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-25
AS told By
. ]. ]. SECRETARY
J, THOMPSON.
The "Head Pusher' Of tho Wheeling
(; Board Of Trade Outlines
Its Purposes.
ADVANTAGES OF WHEELING
As 9 Centre for the Manufacture Of
Iron and Steel and Kin
e. dred Products.

You have asked me to outline the
plan and scope Of the work of the
Wheeling board of trade. says Secretary
s.. A Thompson, writing for the Ohio
Valley Manufacturer. 1t would be an
easier task to define the things which
lie outside the proper field OF action OF
such an organization, than to catalogue
the almost unlimited number Of objects
to which its attention may properly be
directed, for as / view 1t, religion and
partisan politics are about the only
subjects which must be vigorously ex-
cluded.
Our charter provides that the organ
ization is to consist "of the citizens Of
Wheeling and Its vicinity" and shall
have for It's objects the protecting. fos-
tering and developing the commercial,
manufacturing and business interests
CT Wheeling and tit towns in its
neighborhood. In the states of West
Virginia and Ohio. by Joint and con-
certed action"
Naturally and properly, much atten-
tion will be given to the development of
manufacturing. both by securing the
location in this vicinity Of additional
plants, and the increase Of those al
ready here. The three fundamental
factors OF success in manufacturing are
cheap fuel. cheap raw materials, and
cheap transportation for the distrlbu-
ton Of finished products. But it would
not be inaccurate to say that the re-
auisites are only two In number. viz,
cheap fuel and cheap transportation;
since cheap transportation allows the
assemblage OF raw materials from far
distant points, as well as the d!strlbu-
ton of products to all the markets of
the world.
Cheap Fuel.
The cheap fuel is present In limitless
quantities; veins of coal crop out on
every hillside and underlie every acre
OF ground, while the greatest oil and
gas fields yet discovered lie at the very
door, Lines Of transportation already
in existence give excellent facilities,
but much remains to be done to bring
those facilities up to point which will
fully meet the necessities of the present,
while the developments OF the future
promise to continually outrun every
provision made territories, teemlnS with
all the resources Of forest, field and
mine, which as yet are utterly unceVel-
open though lying but q little way from
great industrial! centres. 1t will be the
work oc the board Of trade to aid in
the adjustment between the necessities
Of railway corporations and the rights
Of Individual property owners. and to
promote the interests OF the general
public, the claims of which are superior
to those Of either the corporation or the
Individual.
Another feature Of our work will be
TO hasten as much as possible work
| already well begun-the radical I'M
provement of the Ohio river. What the
completion Of this work will mean for
the upbuildIng of municipal. state, and
| even national prosperity. Is but family
realized rs yet. For water transporta-
ton Is not only the cheapest form OF
transportation. and the most powerful
regulator of railway rates, but. para
doxical though it seems. is also the
most potent known, possible promoter
of the prosperity OF the railways with
which It completes.
| Iron and Steel.
In that great fundamental industry OF
civilization. the production Of iron and
steel, the Wheeling district occupies no
mean position to-day, but there is room
for incretase in lines already represent
ed, as well aa for bringing In lines not
yet established.
:. Pottery, glass and many other variet-
les Of manufacture. which cannot be
catalogued here, are already In exist
ence, the manufacturing interests of
the city, since o time Of depression for
one line need not necessarily be time
Of depression In another, SO that VIC
siiu.i 'ro'A =" =" o' 20
oashet. -, ,o,o.s,r
tnou'''.u' u.'.top,.e... =" a.
ny pe uceotiipa'''eu " oo
,,ro,,r,,t J., ~, now foctorIcs win make
customers for new retail establishments
and among these. and in the territory
reached by new lines Of railway, will
bc new customers for the wholesalers
and ,obbers.