The Washington times., 1905-08-20


The board of governors Of the Poto-
mac Boat Club has had lis attention
called TO an alleged news Item pub
lished ia the Sunday edition of your
paper, August s, 1905. The article Is in
quotation marks and is said to be the
statement Of an eX-member. who has
recently quit because of the internal
disaeEsions" in the club. IL is written
either IN ignorance or malice, as the
statements themselves are entirely false
and misleading.
We appreciate that the dignified posi-
ton for us TO maintain is TO treat the
statement as all such statemens should
DC treated. with silent contefipt lin view
OF the facG, that this paragon of square
craftsmanship is SO unmanly as to
hide his IDENTIFY. but as the article is
a direct attack on the mana cement Of
the club and personal attack on our
president, we feel that 10 remain silent
in the face OF such a base libel would
be an acknowledgment of the truthful
ness OF The faisehoods and misstate-
ments of this disgruntled member.
We do not know the name of your
valued informant, but from the Ian
guage OF the article and some OF the
pat phrases of the green cloth in
iulged in by this paragon OF fairness, -
we have concluded that it IS the work
o. a person who has been expelled from
the club for the non-payment Of his
dues, and is also man who is posi-
lively unreliable. not only as to his
statements. but in all other club mat
ters, financial and otherwise, with which
he had any connection during his mem
bcrship in the Potomac Boat Club.
As to his statements that the club is
a private corporation organized by eight
members for The purpose of getting
the club into their own hands and an
nexing "a little long green, as the
sport" suggests, a word or two re-
sarding the Potomac Boat Club may
not be amiss
The Potomac Boat Club was founded
in 1859, and for thirty-six years has
been the representative boating club
of the Nations Capital; her crews have
maintained the honor and dignity OF
Washington. in numerous sections Of
the United States and in many hard
fought battles have won high honors
in the field CT aduatics. The red and
white emblem of the club has the Uni
versai respect and adrnira ton Of boating
men of the country. b. whom 1t has
always been recognized rs the represen-
tatiye boating organization Of this sec
ton. True. it has had its ups and
downs. as all clubs seem TO have; II
has seen the rise and fall Of many Of
its rival organizations. some Of which
are now only memories
After twenty-five years of active life
the club was incorporated in 1894, in or
der to perpetuate the organiza ton for
TWENTY-FIVE years more; for this reason
and this reason only, was the potomac
Boat Club incorporated. Some years
club will have large membership. ana
in another year the roll will be much
smaller. We attribute the low ebb III
membership some years ago to the
popularity OF the bicycle. which opened
IN a new field OF attraction, namely, the
exploration of the practically unknown
country roaGs and other suburban en-
tovuents. Every club suffered by the
enormous number of young men that
Joined the then new and popular wheel
clubs Since then, however. the Poto-
mae Boat Club has increased every year
in membership, and in several years the
limit of membership has been reached;
we could not accommodate more mem
bers. and the house being over-crowded
with boats, we were compelled to build
an addition to the house for more boat
room.
We eonsider that We have an ample
supply Of club boats consistent with the
policy Of the club that man should
own his own boat. the same IS he owns
his own supplies or outfit in any other
athletic or outdoor sport. To the man
who is devoted TO boating, permanent
man. the te ownership Of boat
IS absolutely --ocessary
IN regard TO the stock feature of the
club. as was stated before, the club
was Incorporated in 1894 and made d
stock company to insure its permanent
continuancy One-third of the stock was
held by the corporation in common owner
ship. the other two-thfrds were divided
among the sixty-five life active and in
active members then on roll. The stock
bears no interest. and as the running
expenses of the club exceed the income,
no dividends on the stock have ever been
declared the deficit being made up by
subscription or assessment. AS mat
ter of fact, in addition to paying yearly
dues. the stockholders have been called
1ipon in other ways 10 aid the club in
wears when the running expenses have
been extra heavy.
As to the statement made regarding
the voting of stock at the ''farcical
yearly elections" and the defeating of all
measures not to the liking of the own
ers' OF the club, and the statement that
the largest stockholder OF the club also
voted the treasury stock, this Is abso
lutely false IN its entirety. AS matter
of fact. each member has a vote al ali
regular yearly meetings of the club,
whether they are holders of stock or not,
and the shares of the stock of the club
have not been voted in years at any meet