Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-07-14
THE BOARD OF TRADE
Sharply Criticized by CorrespOr
dent of the Register.


dent of the Register.
To tho Editor of the Register.
Sdr:-I attended the meeting, held in
the Opera House some months ago,
upon which occasion our Board OF
Trade was started on it's career. AS
was every person present, | was i'm
pressed with the vigor and vim with
which the work Of the Board was I'M
dertaken. and felt sure, (as | sincere
ly hoped), that its would be life OF
usefulness and benefit to the city and
citizens Of Wheeling. l voted for at
least ten OF the present Board of Direc-
tors; l was much pleased with the re-
marks OF the speaker as he pointed out
the inestimhble good such a Board
would be to our city; and / recall the
remarks OF one gentleman who attacked
the Sunday saloon, the poker room and
gambling den, and who was exceeding
~ vigorous in his attack upon all
things tending towards vice, immoral
ity and sin.
This Board of Trade was instituted
for the purpose Of showing to the world
Wheeling's advantage as an industrial
centre. write Ito inquire what the
Board has thus far done towards this
end True, 1t is to be congratulated for
the procuring Eat great expense) of sew
eral conventions for the coming year.
and it has a theatre on the way: but
has it procured for us anything of a
lasting nature, that will be of material
benefit to the masses of our people?
Where was the Board when our neigh
boring town, Washington, Pa, which
has net our advantage, procured two
new steel mills? Was it asleep when
the interior towns of Parkersburg and
Clarksburg each, through its own
Board of Trade, procured the location
of large mills i'm their limits? Are the
members of our Board inert or incom-
petent? They have given us carni-
val, which, thank goodness, closes TO-
day. never, l hope. to be revived Did
our Board Of Trade think this carnival
would bring us industrial enterprises or
capitalists, seeking locations for mills
and manufactures? If it did, it was
easily duped. 1t has brought us the
worst form Of gambling, vast number
OF exhibits. all. or nearly all, having an
immoral tendency, and has cast in our
midst a large number of thieves, beg
CARS and pick-pockets. In the light of
the moral speech at the Opera House
isn't this nice? / am informed that all
trade and business is nearly. if not al
together. at a standstill; l have heard
it remarked that few of our local in
dustries profit by this nefarious carni-
val. viz: the breweries, the traction
companies and the hotels. Is it right
that our people should suffer i'm bust
ness and in morals that the breweries.
street car companies and hotels should
flourish? What have our ministerial
gentlemen friends to say on the sub
tect? An effort has been made to
throw the blame for the Boards evident
weakness and inability upon Mr..
Thompson. Mr.. Thompson is not at all
to blame; he is handicapped somewhere.
Let the blame rest where it should. 1t
should not be forgotten that the hotels
and breweries are ably represented in
the Board Of Trade directory, while al
most all the resident directors OF the
Wheeling Traction Company are also
in the Board of Trade directory. Queer,
amt it? -
DISAPPOINTED.
Wheeling, July 10, 1901.