Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-02-10

There was some real talking
Perth Amboy at the open session Of
the Board of Trade which was held
in the auditorium of the public Ii
brary last night. The meeting was
held for the purpose of stimulating
interest in Board of Trade work,
and, judging from the hearty ap-
plause that greeted the speakers,
and by which they were interrupted
at frequent intervals, the affair was
decided success.
The auditorium was we'll filed
when D. P. Olmstead, the president
of the Board of Trade, called the
meeting to order. Seated on the
platform with him were the two
speakers of the evening, Charles j.
Fisk, mayor of Plainfield, and Judge
Adrian Lyon, of this city.
Mr. Fisk was first introduced. He
had come over from Plainfield
through the storm in an automobile
and he expressed his satisfaction at
getting into a warm and cozy room
after such a ride by telling humor-
GUS story. Mr.. Fisk told of the good
a Board of Trade could do for the
m embers as individuals and for the
city as a body of men united for a
definite purpose. He said Board
of Trade was primarily to bring
business to place, to attract manu-
featuring industries and to make the
city better place to live In. He
declared that there was a vast diff
ference between a Board of Trade
OF city like New York or Newark
and a Board of Trade of cities like
hAr plofnfinld THE
latter have by far the hardest work
to do. He then contrasted the two
-Plainfield and Perth Amboy
manufacturing Industries, but they
have $500 commuters. In Perth
Amboy, on the other hand, sthe
speaker stated that he believed
there were few commuters but 9
large mum ber of industries.
"I have been connected with the
city government of Plainfield for
: eighteen years.. said Mr.. Fisk. Al
that time there was much strife be
tween the commuters, who were
called roosters, !, because they only
came to Plainfleid to roost at night
and the people who stayed In Plain
field all day as well as night, who
were huOW III db o. Du
we soon began to realize that there
was more to be accomplished bl
pulling together than to opposing
each other. We both had our or
ganizations and we united them. The
commuters came into the Board Of
Trade because they felt they coulc
help their home city.
"At that time Plainfield had ne
sI<xr l1xo n
one or two lights, no sewers and nc
improvements whatever. There were
then but 5000 people. We started
in to do something. Many opposed
us, fearing that we would raise the
taxes. They argued that their fore
fathers had carried lanterns about
with them; the sidewalks had beer
good enough; they were able to gel
their water out of pump and were
satisfied with cesspool in the back
yard
but we went ahead with oul
work. We now have twenty-five
miles Of fine macadam streets; we
have lights and we have sewers
Our taxes may be little high, bui
the people are satisfied and content
ed. And instead of having 5000
population we nave lo,VVV. "A CITY
must spend enough to keep abreast
with the times and just little BIZ
ahead"
Mr.. Fisk spoke of the advantages
q Board of Trade could be to in
dividual members by the early clos
ing movement and by keeping eact
other posted as to which of theii
customers were good pay and
which were not. He said that by
standing together many reforms
could be accomplished and no one
would lose any business through the
operation.
Mr.. Fisk declared that Board oi
Trade should be in politics. Not par
tisan politics, but to take enough In.
terest in local affairs to see thai
good men were nominated. He said