The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-10

officially known by the secretary. avail
ed themselves of the invitation.
At the request of several members,
the president called a meeting of tn.
chamber to consider a propose negro
labor union here. 1t was though tn
the presence of the union, as genera "
understood, would have a bad effac,
on u business in general, n the
ject of the meeting was to TAX sue.
action as would induce the promoter
Of the union to abandon same. At =
calling the meeting to order, however
the chair announced that he had te-n
advised that private parties were -
that time e~ndeavoring to settl :
question without Interference OF e
chamber, and recommended tina r..
chamber take no action in the mat er
Whatever.> The chairs advice WIS ac-
cepted, and the day following it wa
publicly announced in the papers that
the union had been abandoned.
During July, it was frequently men
toned in the daily papers thai the
Seaboard Air Line had made a to-
arrangement with the Frisco System,
the object being for the two systems
to throw their traffic to each 9th
which would have given the Seaboard
the control Of a very large mount 0
business from the East and North, go
ing to the West and Southwest. The
IN 80
sidered this an opportune time to ne
sent the advantages and claims Of tbs
port to the Seaboard for the purpose
OF organizing a line Of steamers from
Eastern and New England ports to c2-
crate through Wilmington over the
Seaboard in the handling OF traffic des-
tined to the Frisco System. The en-
mittee obtained all the necessary :raffi Z
data covering the territory in n-eo
then effective via Norfolk and Swan
nan. The Traffic committee. cOnsida =
ing W~ilmington's advantages equal. i
not superior, to those of any other No.
touched by the Seaboard system, and
having fully prepared themselves to in
diligently discuss the situation with the
Seaboard Traffic officials, a request foT
a meeting with them was made and in
reply thereto it was stated by the Sea
board management that the contract
in question had not been made. no.
was such a deal even contemplated.
/ mention this matter in detail in or
der 70 demonstrate the a~lertness and
value of the Traffic committee to WI
mington's commerce.
The mex matter OF was
the appointment OF a special commit
tee, at the suggestion of Mr.. L. B.
Rogers. to endeavor to have the Gov
rnmen a fish hatchery at
or near Wilmington. The chair, COM
plying. appointed Thomas F. Bagley,
i. 3. Rogers n w. 3. Cooper. This
committee actively took the matter in
hand and now have assurances that the
hatchery will be established.
About this time. the Bell Telephone
Company announced that an. increas Sc
If their rate would be necessary.
Shortly afterwards, their assistant gen
eral manager and traffic. manage re-
quested a meeting with the president
OF the chamber, who called q meeting
| of the executive committee to consider
| the question. At this meeting the Bell
Telephone officials stated their reasons
for considering an increase in rates.
The subject was fully discussed, result
| ing in a call for a general meeting OF
the chamber, at which the Bell officials
stated their case. The chamber referr-
ed the matter to the executive commit
| tee whit authority to recommend such
action as they thought proper The sx-
ecutive committee Ia another meeting
\ with the Bell officials n a plan, mu-
4 tually satisfactory, was agreed upon
which the executive committee recon-
y mended to the chamber. The plan ir
j substance was that the Bell Company
should continue the old rates for on
i year, at the expiration OF which time
the new rates were to take effect under
i a contract for three years, the Bel
people guaranteeing to their subscrib-
ers that no increase In rates should b
j made during than time, and that IL any
l decrease was made at other points O
!, similar size. or n Improvement,