The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-14
Annual M e,e t ing Gets
Gratifying Report of
Past Years Work.
BUSINESS SHOWS
GREAT INCREASE
r e firing President Williams
Urges Constant Vigilance
Against Attacks on Freight
Rates-Comlnends Plan
to Unite Richmond and
Manchester.

\ Reviewing the work OF the institu.
tion for the year just passed, retiring
| President r.. D. Williams showed by
actual figures before the annual meet
] Ing of the Chamber of Commerce last
night that 1909 had been the most pros
y porous year in Its history. Compari-
q son for the last ten years showed that
= membership had increased 63 per cent,
Income lG2 per cent, and expenses. due
to wider scope and influence, 1905 per
:. lccnt.
! But" continued Mr. Williams "its
growth in influence and In accomplish
! ment we believe is in far greater ratio
! than the above figures show and may
J be regarded as III part the cause and
not the sequence Of the city's rapid
growth He also quoted from the
manufacturing and joobing Interests.
LAS reported by the chamber at the
d opening of the year. ali OF which indi-
II Gated commensurate increases.
TO Watch Freight Rates.
i Concerning railroad and terminal
! services Mr.. Williams said While
! Rlchmond, throughts position and wa
Il ter rates does enjoy excellent and fa-
4 lyorable rates in general, they can be
preserved only by constant vigilance
against inevitable changes and attacks
INSPIRED by competing cities or pro-
/ muIgated by railroad interests.
He attributes the present quietude
as TO rate changes to be largely due
to tho still underlined limits of power
! of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. Increased switching charges. he
!, said was the only serious disadvantage
to the city, adding that the railroads
had hesitated and shown inconsistency.
leaving the matter pending.
} In retiring Mr.. Williams strongly
: recommends the continued fight for
better waterways, the annexation OF
/, Manchester and the cal rying forward
!. of all the work in which the Chamber
: OF Commerce has been SO cons picuous
lduring the year. The other reports
2 were. referred to the board OF directors.
7 Election os Officers
BY unanimous vote, IA enry w. Wood,
for the last two years first vice -prcsi-
dent, was elected to succeed Mr.. VII M
lianls as president OF the chamber. The
other officers, none of whom had any
: opposition, were as follows:
First Vice President, Tnzewell NJ.
:! Carrington: second Vice.President,
oiWiiliam r. Reed: Secretary, r. q.
-IDunlop; Business Manager. William !.
n nIDabney: Treasurer, John H. Montague.
?. Board of Dtrectors-W. Meade Addl-
I. son, s. T. Beveridge Charles +. Bor-
~ III.
non, r. S. Tuck, r. s. Christian. Sam
! uel Cohen, John g. SCorley, Q. Herbert
:, Funston. IT. Peyton Giles, Z. c. Laird,
. b. NJ Gwathmey III. W. Rountree,
Coleman Wprtham, John NJ. Miller. Jr,
n Fritz Sitterding. +. l.. Powers. Robert
{ flWhittet. Warren p. Taylor, Henry Wy.
= lMcNey. II. w. Ellerson, ]. L. Ryland
: Leon Wallerstein and Alvin II. Smith.
Motor Car Line Indorsed.
L. Y w Robinson and other Cltt.
! zens of Essex county appeared before
the meeting in behalf of a project tc
run motor car line from Tappahan.
: mock to Milford, on the Richmond
i Ere ercksburg and Potomac Railroad
el or directly to this city. They stated
!. that the com pany they wished to capi,
'.fStalize would require from $4,000 tc
e Richmond in communication by freight
e and mail with more than 50,oog persons
In one of the most fertile and sprosres.
4 sive sections of the State. They asked
a for tho moral support of the Chamber
e and the financial backing OF its mem.
IS bers.
i James II. Gordon said that he wa:
going to subscribe to the stock, ant
s that he would use his money and in
g fluence to have4th line run direct t.
y this city Inasmuch as this city !:
now enjoying but little of the trad'
Of that section, which Is for the mos
mart with the commission and jobb!nl
8 merchants it is practically assured
z that they will give the scheme thei
support and probably take the ma
Q jority OF stock, believing that the NOV
! will result in few years IN the es es
: tablishmcnt of railroad into tfi
: ection. The Chamber pledged ts
j, support.
!. TO Helm Insurance Ilntc.
n The Cham ber passed q resolution OF
g fered by L. u. Morris indorsing TIL
J standardizing of the fire department
= :, having regular men instead OF cal
!: men as at present, thus decreasing tn
Il insurance rate Of the city,,
A committee composed Of Judg
Q George L. Christian. FL. L. Cabel
e James Caskie Wyndham Meredith
James r. Gordon, General Charles
Anderson and F. D, T. Meyers. Jr, wa
~ appointed to appear beforethe Counc
and ask that something be done to
!. ward the preservation of the Jon
si Marshall house and property, latel
le condemned by the Building Inspector
;e Resolutions were adopted indorsln
'e the plan for the government owner
IS ship Of embassies and for appolntin
!, a committee to take charge OF tn
d proposed city and government tWor
ii on the river and water, front
N 8 New Members.
k, New members were elected as fol
se lows: ~
% American Terminal and Warehous
% Company, b. a. Blenner. Brooks. Nor
y cure 8. Carter Dreyfus g. Co., ]. "
FULLER, Marx Gunst, J. r. Goods s sol
Robert Nj. Jeffrees, Evening Journf
Company, Incorporated, ], Herhel
Mercer, Ola Dominion Hide and HI
en- Company, John B. Purcell. A. Gallo
Parker, Richeson & Crutchheld, Geore
ue Il. Seay, Ashton starke, Vlrginia Care
Il ~ lima Supply Company, Virginia Raj
i way and Power Company. @
si- Work on James River.
lie Following is the report OF the con
on James River, acting Joint
rs. with the municipal committees:
~ N1uch activ " now prevails on Y
~ Continued on EFourtllT PageI NY