The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-23

that that count for most III ali human pro
gress, you have here All almost unused as
set, Of incoinparaGy greater value ma .m
gether. i refer to that moral and lntn
| lectual force which proceeds from enrlcs
souls IN combination. dominated ey :
common purpose htetgenttiiy fec aI rsso
tthan those possibilities. warrant, to or
gniIzcd. united effort. ..u.. ~.
e Cur moral ui'' aud intellectual r, Re-.
sources so us to nuke them ava i,
bic for the cty's real developmeht. -. an y,
competition OF to-day IS not only ~. pe ~ ~
broader manifestations is a struggle g, ta,,
tween cities. This larger competltio u
takes the form of an effort On the rn aaet
| of cities to make the cond,tlona 10 u inna
| resident in their borders do business pet
ter and more favorable than anyMn e -
else. The agencies employed are co'n nlo1i.
organizations called Chambers OF Co"'-
merce or Boards OF Trade.
Pressure is Felt.
The pressure Of these powerful inhu-
ences Is felt in every raiiroao - o'i ~
state Legislature and Congress, where Ir,,
laws arc made and In every direction
where its assertion may secure , an a. aaS ca,r-
rent events knows this 70 I've true. sse
simply ask that Richmond be armed 1oII
the conflict which she cannot escape ~. ~
this point. be It understood INA. t t,r
chamber wishes abundant prosperity ~
her sister cities OF this Commonwealnt.n''
and of the South. It stands for Compel
ton without bitterness. rivalry WIFI
out envy .,,-. Tor
the future development of Rlchmonpe !:
The only one I desire to empraslze 70
this meeting is plan and purpnse -. 40
advertise Richmond's great advant an
a place for manufacturing and ,o eVe 9 ~
odvortisinr actively in every form known
to that art, and with splendid results.
We know our advantages are eaual 70 70
nny and the sup world shall II G know it.
II the incomplete statement I nave
given tonight Of the chamber work, Us
useful career, does not estannsn ~. -
gh to yo o fullest c tnpnoft who 0n
for all that Is good in our business liie
will convince the most skepticn! ana
move the most Indifferent. Rsad mat
report signed by John =: rnrcel'' r snaT
THOMAS NJ rutherford, r. G. Rennolds
Ro. Lee Traylor William T. Reed John
G. Freeman. Henry ". Wood. James n.
u, u.
T.. A. Saunders. Jr.
Recently Atlanta decided to have
State fair or exposition. and placed five
hundred thousand dollars as the mini
mum amount to be subscribed before
entering on that undertaking. In four
days three hundred and sixty thousand
dollars were subscribed. I make no In
vidious comparison: but congratulate At
lanta on such splendid expression OF civic
pride and faith in her future. In Attain
tn the women vie with the men In contri-
buting to any cause which has for It's
object the improvement OF Atlanta. TINS
reminds me that Richmond lady offered
to give fifteen hundred dollars to our
State Fair Association, just formed, but
the committee declined TO receive from
her more than one thousand dollars
Appreciation of high conduct Is best r
expressed by emulaton-not cheap
eulogy.
What Others Are Doing.
what other cities are doing pow ask
that the people Of Richmond Aubscl ibe
thirty thousand dollars to the chamber
Of commerce-twelvP thousand to operate
and eight thousand for advertising Rich
mand and the expenses incident thereto
narrow and a cheap policy will no lon
ger answer. Memphis. l am informed.
dollars. simply for operating expenses.
and more than that amount for adver-
Using 1t Is the business of this meeting
to provide a plan that will secure the
funds we need to support the Chamber
of Commerce and to advertise the city.
The three hundred people assembled here.
organized into working committees that
work can arouse this community to do
anything 1t ought to do, to full perfor-
nance Of It's duty. We are wasting time
In being here tonight unless the systema-
tic work needed 10 secure public support
be thoroughly done.
Provide the thirty thousand dollars
needed. twelve thousand for operating
Traffic Department, eight thousand for
advertising the magnificent inducements
Richmond offers to caDital for profitable
investments. and we Will surprise the cen
sus man when he knocks at our door in
1910: and his report. giving our increase
in population. in factories and in wealth,
when given out, will surprise the world
The value Of rea! and personal p pr PEI
1900. its actual market value. including
about eighte>n millions of untaxed real
estate. is probably s125,ooo.onn.oo. This
represents our acquired and saved wealth
This amount needed and asked for by the
chamber is about 1-30th Of per cent.
calculated on the assessed value OF this
property. and less than 1-4oth OF per
cent. IL calculated on It's probable actual
value. This cannot, justly, he regarded as
large amount to give to commercial
body whose work has been SO instrument
tai in making the acquisition of this
property possible.
This calculation takes no account Of
the immense annual business done here In
manufacturing, jobbing, banking broker
nee. insurance, real estate and other
lines vet every one Of these interests
know that the work Of the chamber Is es-
sentla, to their success. Every resident
is beneficiary of the chambers wo,k,
whether hn lives on fess. salary, commits
sions. brokerage, rents. Insurance and
banking profits. or from any othor source
An Inconsistency.
Men give s35O.00 a year 10 porter 70
sweep out their Offices. 100000 to $4,000
to young shipping clerk, s1,20oo3 to
a bookkeeper and refuse 20 ccatribute
third as much as the porter,, rs. WAGES ,%",s
business possible. think this inconsis-
tent.
Retired capitalists collect rents here
and contribute nothing to the body that
makes tenants possible ! think this All
/ believe that most Of the people TO
whom The foregoing applies. and have
no special person in nrind. Will on
proper presentation of this important