The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-10-22
ASTORIA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
BRIEF AND BARREN SESSION OF
THIS IMPORTANT ASSEMBLY
LAST EVENING --- REPORTS RE-
cEIvED AND DISPOSED or.


Astoria Chamber Of Commerce was hell
at tho habitat of that body last even
ling, ccnyening vt 7;3O o'clock, but fall
ling 10 reach actual business status un
til 5. President j.. w. WeIch was In til,
chair, as usual, with Secretary John II
|Whyte handling the records. There wal
Ia fairly large attendance, but not near
y 20 many as the anticipated interest
Of the session warranted. Among ths
notable guests Of the evening was NJ
|C. N. Sherman, d live business man ol
Robinson, Ill. who ID In this section
looking up the possibilities that exist
hereabout to warrant the establishment
|of q concrete block plant ami business
The gayel fell at . o'clock sharp, and
President Welch launched the order oi
business and Secretary Whyts kept It
moving expeditiously. The interesting
reports due at this session will be found,
at length, In the course Of this record.
The minutes Of the previous session
having been read and approved; the fol-
lowing matters were taken up 10
sequence and properly disposed Of to-
wit.
PresidentJ. w. Welch took occasion
to announce To the assembly that the
Morning Astorian had recently uttered
"a contemptiblc lie,' In reporting To its
readers that be, the president the
Chamber had .1set down" on Secretary
Whyte at one Of the recent meetings,
and the statement was received without
comment. The Astorian deprecates
what Of blundering Is attributable to it
In these premises, quite as much as II
does the quality Of the terms In which
President Welch took occasion to REL
port 1t. =
Secretary Whyte read a cordial invi-
tation from the Irving Club Of this
city. to the Chamber OF Commerce and
its ladies', to the clubs woman's meet
Ing. to be held at the famous club
rooms on tomorrow evening; and the
same was unanimously accepted by the
Chamber OF Commerce:
With view to enhancing public In
terest in the good roads doctrine, and
especially, in behalf Of the growing au-
tomobile road service Of the county,
President Welch introduced d resolution
for the legal declaration Of
certain portions Of the sea beaches as
public highways; and the same was
duly referred to the committee on
roads and highways
The report Of the executive committee
on the matter Of William Reds plea
for assistance in acquiring the right-of-
way for the Portland Oregon 4 Seacoast
Railway Company. was then read in
open meeting. by Secretary Whyte, and
the same was ordered filed and the
relieved of all further re-
in regard to the matter.
This leaves the issue in statu quo and
amenable to such further action as the
Chamber shall elect 70 take in the
premise.
Report Of the Executive Committee. /
The Executive Committee met Will
liam Reid Of Portland. attorney ard
secretary Of the Portland Oregon Sea-
coast Railroad Company, by appoint
nent in the Offices Of the Chamber Of
Commerce on the afternoon on the l4th
INST. and insisted that as the laborers
md not been paid IN his former railroad
building venture In this locality, and
hat as the laborers which worked on
he railroad enterprise, with which he
vas connected at Hillsboro, had also not
,een paid, that he should deposit in
'ome bank in this city such d sum Of
money as would be Sufficient to pay the
aborers which may be employed on this
occasion. The committee suggested
i250000 but stated they would be- salts
led with any reasonable sum, and
lgreed if this deposit were made to do
III they could to secure the rights.of-
way asked for.
The committee believes this demand
N Mr., Reid is altogether reasonable
md points out the fact that the people |
\ Tillamook exacted q bond Of $20,-
100 from Mr.. Ilytle that he would COM
'lete his road before they would consent
o get him right-ofIway. Mr.. Reid's
'revious record in this state, especially |
With regard to his paying laborers,
auses IT to appear to us especially rea-
enable that such a deposit should be
equired Of him sufficient to pay any
aborers he may cause to be hired
Our action concerning this deposit was
aken>after investigating. the Portland
,regon 4 Seacoast Railroad Company
nd the alleged hackers. We found that
he Portland Oregon & Seacoast Rail-
Dad Company never made any survey
! any line Of railroad, consequently it
ould not condemn land for railroad pur-
oses, and that the several condemna-
ion suits iiled were mere bluffs.
we thought this deposit should 10 REL
uired Of Mr.. Reid especially in the
ght Of the history Of his transactions,
Te call attention to the fact that in
)05 Mr. Reid, through corporation
,lled the Portland, Nehalem \ Tilla-
look Railroad Company, attempted to
uild railroad from Hiilsboro to Til /,
Imok, About five miles OF grade was
lrown up, but no money was produced |