The border vidette., 1908-08-08
SECRETARY'S ANNUAL REPORT
To the officers and Members of the NOgaies and Santa Cruz County Board Of Trade.
Gentle enaen:

The Board of Directors elected at the last annual meeting of the Noga- les and Santa Cruz County Board of Trade, held in Armory Hall on the 9th of August, 1907, at their first regular meeting the following week organized for another years work by again electing the former corps of officers and the appointment to the standing committees of those who had gained experience by service in these lines during the previous year.
 In August the Board turned their attention to several questions; among them being the consideration of the possibility of securing the cooperation of the Forest Service in stocking tine local National Forests with game birds; the securing of delegates to the National Mining Congress meeting in Joplin, Mo-, Tn October. and consider ation of plans for further endeavor in securing an extension of the San Diego Yuma Railroad to Nogales. The Board also took steps urging the early decision by the Government of the Baca Float Controversy.
 The following month payment of S3OOOO was made to the Fire De- partment to meet the pledge of the board for the new chemical engine. The board received proposition from l TP e.; ~, for establishment of snelter at No gales; instructed it's Town Improve ments Committee to take up with the council the proposition of building town hall, and held special meeting at whic ch Mr. Howard s. Reed of the Reclamation Service spoke at length on the subject of irrigation for the Santa Cruz Valley.
 In October the board sent an in vitation to the Postal Telegraph head quarters in New York to extend their lines to Nogales, and received as- surance from the 2nd Vice President of the company that the matter would be taken under careful advisement. They also secured the attendance of two of our prominent mining men at the Mi ,ing Congress.
 In November the Board invited Mr. Hill at the head of the Phoenix offiee of the Reclamation Service, to come to Nogales and go over the Santa Cruz Irrigation project with the Board. but were unable to secure his attendance because of other pressing duties. A number of local merchants appeared before the Board at this time with request that the organization take up with the railroad the matter of exces- sive freight rates on produce and sugar. This was turned over to the Railroad Committee of the board and after careful investigation, and diplomatic representation to the proper railroad officials, they secured a reduction of 25% on potatoes, onions and other similar produce and also on sugar. Tue securing of mail boxes for the depot and Morley Avenue were also taken up at this time by the Town Improvements Committee, but owing to the great amount of work to be handled by the local postof1ice it was found impractlcable to do anything. At the request of the Postmaster Gen. eral the Finance Committee, acting for the board, presented an exhaustive opinion on the question of tho Gov ernment proposition for extension of parcels post and postal savings banks. The boards attitude on these questions was in favor of the extension of par cells post, but only quali6edly in favor of postal savings banks, owing to the fact that under certain circumstances such banks might be the means of withdra wing local capital from local circulation and concentrate the same in the larger commercial centers.
 The board, feeling itself sufficiently established as a commercial body, pro-. cured a seal with which to attest it's documents using as the design for this seal an engraving of the map of the United States and Mexico with a