El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-07
Secretary Ernest E. Russell
Makes His First Semi
Annual Report
ITS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ReCOunted In Detail, and Many Elk
Cel1ent Suggestions Made For
the Future Welfare OF the
Chamber-What the Committees
Have DOne.-The international
Dam and the Mineral Exhibit.

|
Ell Paso chamber of commerce has
submitted his first semi annual report
| to the president and board of directors
TIE first part of the report is devoted
to q brief account of the steps leading
up to the formation + the chamber
ana to the preliminary proceedings.
The report then reads rs follows:
Up to the fret OF January the mem
bership of the Chambe- numbered
Isl names. Before the close of the
fret quarter, March LIST, the member
| ship mad increased to 23S. Al this
date there are POI names on she roll.
or this mum Der, however. few have
resigned and others have not yet paid
mem bership fee or dues. 10 all 22l
| members nave made one or more
payments of mem bership dues to the
Chamber.
WHAT HAS THE CHAMBER OF CON-
MERGE DONE?
at Us take hassy survey of the
wOl K which the Chamber of Commerce
has thus far accomplished.
Hardly was the Chamber organ iZed
when 1t found an important task at
hand. All over the state commercial
bodies we're bending their organized
energies to prevent the pas,
sage OF the Ubiquitous tax bill
then before the legislature. The
FL Paso Chamber of Commerce
took aggressive and determined action
and supplied it's full quota of the OF
position that finally defeated the bill.
Every business man in Ell PssO who
wac ted 10 zee the bill defeated, rejoic
ed that the city had an organic alton
Gle thed with authority TO voice the
practically unanimous sentim ent of the
com munity against the tar bill.
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
The first OF the standing cJm mitsess
to be appointed was the Transporta
ton Committee, to which is assigned
the duty of looking after freight rates
ants and shippers. One of the fret
act of the Transportation Com mittee
last January was to take up the matter
of the unjust and discrimin att n e switch
ing charges in effect in this city. The
Com mittee went into the matter
thorough y, secured complete data, and
made up an elaborate statement of the
case. The Board OF Directors adopted
the report of the Committee and the
President forwarded it to the State
Railway Commission, with a request
that the charges be reduced to q pro-
per rates. The Commission granted
the request.
E Paso Is already an important
Wholesale and jobblng center. But II
the city Is to reach the comm anding
commercial position to which it is en-
objects must be lsbored for in season
and out: First the city must secure
jobbers' rates which will give it the
trade OF the territory naturally trib-
utary to It; and secondly, the city must
put forth every possible effort to
develop the resources of the tributary
country in order to enlarged its market
The task of securing equitable
the Transportation Committee. The
Committee has already collected much
data and given the matter much care
full stten ton and elaboration. Such
q task as this Is not to be accomplish
ed in day, nor is any thing to be gain
ed by attempting the work in mass
meeting. Here Is q task which must
be left to few competent men, with
CAP be done, and as rapidly as 1t can be
done. The important thing for the
Chamber of Commerce to do, Ia to give
hearty and unanimous support to what
ever course may ultimately be decided
upon.
The tack of fastening the develop
ment of the resources Of the surround
ing country in order to increase our
markets, is no: assigned to one COM
committees, especially the Committee
on Mines and Mining and the Commit
tee on Irrigation. 1t is q task that will
never end, because there will always
be some resources to be developed.
some lands to be occupied and cultivst-
ed, some outlying community to be
brought into closer commercial rela-
tions with the city.
MINES AND MINING
None of the standing committees of
the chamber of commerce has q more
important duty or greater Opportuni-
ty than the committee on Mines and
Mining. The one thing without which
nothing else can insure to the
everybody in Ell Paso expects is the
of the vast mineral re-
sources OF the country tributary to Ell
Paso. These resources constitute by
far the most extensive and valuable
asset of the city. Upon their develop
ment depends the future of the city as
q commercial and manufacturing CEN
ter, and along all Industrial lines. The
mining town and camp will always
be Ell Paso's best market, and a perma-
nent and absolutely reliable source of
great revenue.
From the first the Chamber of Com |
10 cree has recognized that one of it's |
chief aims should be to publish to the |
world the character and extent of the |
mineral resources OF the |
country tributary to Ell Paso. To this |
end all possible effort is being made to
enlist the interest and cooperation of
the people OF the surrounding country.
A permanent exhibit of resources ia !
being collected for the inform stion OF
visitors to Ell Paso. A representative |
has been cent out and is now in the |
field. visiting the yariOus mining