The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-21

ttons. ana some of III III OF international
: attendance.
both the Republican and Democratic
national committees have been formally in
' ted ny IN" lGUr - hold th,ir party
3 c"nv' ntions in :. Loui in act The atti'
tid" toward ST. Louis IF The sent!cmei
cor1. -.ns these commit .c- pas been mosi
Sa'i-iaCt r. an tt!s wIik VII be urged
At tn' proc: I ms.
INgI:EA,ED TRADE SHOWN.
John L PilgA"-. cham man of tn" Com
mitt.e on Commerce a-d Nrnufacturin /.
made a report. the concsud ~ paragraphs
OF Mf!ch we walmly app.aancG:
The general commercial outlook % III,
city is u-Cst satisfactory. its vp,uine n'
business having Increased Dc over 10 pei
cent last year. The railway building on nj
: sides of us into our distributing territory
: and the activity of our manufacturers and
| Jnbbers indicate that 1876 WI be even a
better year.
I look for no rejection from this pros
perity. for the growth has come through
the energy Of the men who have applied
sound business principles 10 the favorable
commercial c"aoitions afforded them by tho
situation q: -. Louis as Il central !istrtbut-
ing point.
GAIN IN MEMBERSHIP.
The Committee on Membership. through
its chairman. W. J. kinsplla. showed that
The league now has 32i members. while ut
the last annual mcetin~ tie number was
only 2if. a gam of scvcnty-eisht The re-
While no solicitir. TO- members Is en-
outraged by the league. the Membership
Committee during tie last "ear made a
special effort 10 show to business men OF
starding. selected AT their meetings as
eligible members. the work that YVES being
done by the leagI. for the general interests
of the city through its main Office. and Tor
the interests OF the members themselves
through its traffic bureau and its legal de-
MANY know the league in its public work
only. and 10 not understand that III" or
ganization may be of great advantage 10
them through its legal department. con-
Gl,f.G hy Ia wNprS of such distinction as
Mr.. Bryan ana Mr.. Christie. and the traffic
bureau managed by such 4 skilled railway
man as Commissioner TompkiHS.
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
w. X. Kavanaugil. chairman of the River
Improvement Committee. recalled the work
that mad been done by the leagues delesa-
ton. consisting of q. l.: Wh!teiaw, Seth W
Cobb, ". z. kennett. r. X. Ballard and w.
+. Saunders. who went to Washington last
year to assist the Missouri congressman
and Senators in securing an adequate ap-
preparation for the Mississippi River work.
The result was that the House and Senate
agreed upon ss5, 100000 at a time when 1t
seemed that there was danger of the river
appropriations being cut of. For the llrSt
years work 81. 2Co.G eco was allowed from the
head of the passes to the mouth of the ono
at Cairo. and the continuous appropriation
is at the rate of $650,0O0 a year for four
years.
$50 we are now assured" said MIR: kav-
anaush. that the money spent each year
on improvements will be followed up ana
protected the next by continuous work. ana
not allowed 10 wash away from neglect. as
has been often the case in the past because
of the lack of necessary means and una
to get out the Government, deet. which
often was lying idle at the bank. actually
Getsriorating rom disuse.
AT this point. allow me. please. TO I'M
press on your minds that We must not al
low any funds to be taken from the regular
appropriation for special work. leaving II
rather to the engineer in charge which work
must be done. for it can be easily seen. that
with limited funds the claims for special
work made by our Representatives at wash
ington to be deducted from the regular ap-
preparation would soon retrograde into a
scramble on the part of influential con,
stituents who might he Interested, and
thereby completely tie the hands of our ef-
fcient United States officer in charge of the
work, and would seriously hamper the In
teiligent discharge of his duties
Major Thomas Casey. in charge of the
work. has stated. said Mr.. kavanaush. that
he hopes to secure a uniform channel eisht
feet in depth.
The suggested that 4 river con-
vention should be held in St. Louis next
year. to be composed of delegates from ev-
cry commercial body in the cities IN the
10000 suuare miles which lay, adjacent 10
the Mississippi and are drained by 1t.
BANKRUPTCY LAW AMENDMENT.
Ben Schumacher. chairman of the Com
mittee on National Legislation; referred 70
the pending amendment t" the national
bankruptcy act. He said in part:
'Fhe original act contains n provision
substantially making all m TO credi-
i'iS N.N-.4I l'ui M va
of bankruptcy. preferential and voidab!e by
the trustee. This provision was generally
understood to mean that all payments maze
10 and received by creditors of a bankrupt
within a period of four months prior to
bankruptcy. although in the ordinary
course of business and In the best OF faith.
might he recovered back from the creditor
or creditors by the trustee in bankruptcy.
~ case haGing arisen and having been
taken to the Supreme Court Of tn, the y, un .tat
tribunal 10 the effect that a payment so
made could not be recovered. but that un-
less restored voluntarily by the creditor; 1t
bankrupt an,- other claim or balance or
claim which he might hold at the time of
participating for any such unsatisicd de-
mand i'm the assets of the bankrupt.
"a bill is now pending in the Senate to
remedy this defect. by authorizing not only
the retention of any payments honestly
made and honestly received. hut permitting
the creditor to establish any other claim
which may be still due him. and To par.ici-
pate pro rata therefor in the distribution of
the banl,rupt's effects. The common sense
business fairness of such legislation is APP
parent and requires no comment"
TO IMPROVE II STREETS.
The Committee on State and Municipal
Improvement, through its chairman. Ed
ward Dewey. advised the league that the
plan to improve the downtown business
with heavy layers of asphalt. thereby max
ing the streets cleaner and less noisy, soon
VIII be carried mo erect
AT the instance of the league, after a con-
ference with the city officials. ordinances
We're passed to treat Sixth. Eighth. Tenth
and Twentieth streets between Market and
Washington avenue. a part of Twelfth
street and Pine street from Fourth to Nine
tenth.
1T was thought that by treating this dis |
trict in this way a good idea would be OBJ
tanned of the result IL the whole of the
somm : d rsndT,es was she so i ma,t ed ,, the
streets will begin early in the spring and
the resurfacing will lie completed before
the summer cores. If the Plan proves, as
streets downtown will be similarly i'm
proved.
Your committee has als6 secured the
help cf the Comptroller of the city in es-
t. blishing an additional n-e-engine-house.
which Is to have two eneine companies and
truck company. in TIE business district.
in advancing the interests of the bills pre-
pared by the Eusi~ess Mems League and
the commercial clubs of Kansas City and
st Joseph. which we hope will result. il |
passed. in tie reduction of the fire insur-
arce rates in the State"
LEAGUES PROGRAMME. !
{. b. Smith. chairman of Publication
which has on it the managers |
Of various newspapers printed In St. Louis.
reported that the advertising of the city
through this source is stronger. greater in
ard more attractive than ever be-
fore. |
The committee is not sending out many |
now. because Of the work of ne |
Press and Publicity Bureau of the Worlds
Fair. which is described as being so thor |
that they have not thought it wise |
IN spending the leagues money In paint
lnG the lily or gliding refined gold" The
however. is having many articles
in relation to the city's trade and
ommerce.
]. j. Wertheimer. chairman of the Pro-
gramme Committee. in his annual report |
that in 1903 only two general
one in April and one in October.
& n a.. . IT, Ill, 49,. -