The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-10-06

carefully from all Its phases. The
board OF directors OF the club Is com.
posed Of w. NJ. Robertson, G. Il. Burn.
ham, w. A. Witzigman, c. S. Bridge
w. II. Johnson, Sol G.. Mayer, c. p.
Parish, II. A. Pasewalk and John Fri.
day. The meeting was held in the
office OF ID. Mathewson, secretary of
the club, who was present, as was also
Geo. ID. Butterfield, treasurer OF the
club, and all but two members of
the board of directors, who were
out of town at the time. After
a lengthy session, II was decided by
the unanimous vote of those present
that the distributing rate was not only
the only thing that could be asked for
with any hope of success but 1t was
further decided that such rate would
prove of more advantage to Norfolk
than an in-rate, even though the city
could elect to take it's choice between
the two which 1t couldn't.
AS a consequence of this meeting
the committee that had been appoint.
ed to confer with railroad managers
in regard to the situation, was instruct
ed to ask only for distributing rate.
The committee followed the instruc-
tions of the directors and presented
the matter in Omaha, securing the
promise of Mr.. White, general solicitor
of the Northwestern, and Mr.. Kuhn,
general traffic manager, that they
would use their utmost endeavors to
secure the consent of Chicago officials
of the road to put such tariff in ef-
feet out of Norfolk as would allow
wholesale houses here to compete with
other distributing centers. Both these
gentlemen undertook the matter
through a personal feeling of friend
liness to Norfolk. Mr.. White former
ly lived here and still retains a strong
interest in the people, while Mr. Kuhn
expressed himself glad to do anything
he could to further the interests of
one of the largest towns in his juris-
diction. Both have since been making
strenuous efforts to bring about the
results asked for by the Commercial
club, both have made trips to Chicago,
and urged that the rates be put into
effect, but up to date nothing has been
announced, and it is impossible to say
whether the distributing rate will be
allowed by the Chicago officials or
not.
There Is no proposition before Nor
| folk which contemplates securing an
in-rate. the conditions are not such as
to Justify such a movement, and the
directors of the Commercial club have
not "sold out" the town either. The
ridiculous charge that the town is be-
ing sold out" is being made with al
together too much frequency. Does
that list of directors read like the
names of persons who would "sell out"
their home town? Does anyone not a
| fanatic think that w. M. Robertson,
who has given more gratuitous time
to public enterprises than any other
man in town, whose personal influence
brought to the city the finest federal
building in the United States in q
town of this size, who is very largely
responsible for the rebuilding of the
Norfolk hospital for the insane,
brought about through his indefatiga-
bic work before two sessions of the
! legislature, who is for Norfolk first.
last and all the time-does anyone Sc
riOusly think that w. NJ. Robertson
town? And then there are the other
officers of the club and members of
the board of misunderstanding men
of the town, many of them having all
they possess on earth inside the lin
its of Norfolk, men who are capable
of discerning a good business propo-
sition from a bad one, men who have
made a success in life and who are
looked up to as models in the com
munity-it requires good deal of ego
to assert that such men as these have
been guilty of Selling out" Norfolk
These are the men who are behind
the movement to secure wholesale
houses and a distributing rate for Nor
folk. They are men of achievement
men Of action and influence, men who
do things. They are striving to do
what seems best under the circum.
stances. They are ambitious to make
Norfolk town that will grow to be
come one of the leading cities of Ne
braska, their hopes, prospects and fu
ture lie in the welfare of the town, and
to that end they devote their time and
money to the public good, and in the
matter at issue they believe they have
adopted the only method that is open
to accomplish the desired end. 1t is