Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-04-30
Distinguished Speakers Talk Of Civic
Improvement and Commercial
Development of Cities
Brilliant Affair Marks First Anniversary Of the
Organization Rivals the Inaugural Dinner
Which Marked Its Inception Congress
men Hubbard and Sturgiss Recalled
Pleasant Events of a Year Ago

been marvellous, they meet annually,
their executive committees are in ses-
sion frequently, they have had used
sound judgment in selecting the very
greatest men in the commonwealth to
preside over the destinies of that
Board of Trade. / have no doubt in
that meeting in Huntington, that
that Representative body of men not
only made no mistake in the selection
of the president for the coming year,
but that they have selected OF
the greatest mem not only in the state
ago | visited the city of Wheeling. In
speaking to me of the state president
of the Board of Trade, q gentleman
made a homely expression, it was n
you mus. indulge me in repeating, he
said. Eyes, Bill Hubbard has brains
in his knees" Permit me to intro
duce to you the president of the State
Board OF Trade, Hon. William p. Hub
bard, who Represents the First Con-
gressional district in Congress. who
will speak on "Civic Development in
West Virginia"
Civic Development.
Mr.. Hubbard said in part:
Mr.. POSTMASTER. gentlemen of the
Martinsburg Board of Trade, United
Daughters of ~Confederacy. l vas glad
to notice the applause which followed
the rendition of Dixie. by the sons OF
the Union as by the IONS of the Con-
federacy, because it argues that spirit
OF union and mutual affection and
friendship which lies. at the fouu-
dation of the civic development of
West Virginia.
I do not remember ever to have
been introduced in more glowing or
expressive terms than by the toast
master ON this occasion, a gentleman
distinguished in his possession, a.
man of affairs; also a mar of letters
(picking UP the letters read by Pres
ident Walker) (applause) most of
which he could not read even with
the aid of Brother Sturgiss and my
self.
For forty years / have tried TO prac-
tice law. i felt that / could
make a speech unless there was
somebody on the other side to talk
against. | don't find that provision
made on this program, nc chance
for any scrapping with anybody and
don't know what | can get unless |
can borrow something from my bro
Their who is to follow me on this pro-
gram.
A year ago it was my privilege to
be a participant i'm the advent Of this
Board of Trade, and as president OF
the State Board of Trade it gives me
great pleasure to testify that the lusty
infant then born, is alive and still
kicking.
/ have known West Virginia eve
since it was West Virginia. When
/ knew it first dt was a political col
lection of unrelated regions and prov
inces. some of which had no more to
do with others in that same political
boundary as eastern and West Vir-
ginia. The one thing that has made
of West Virginia what 1t is, and that
is going to make It the greatest West
Virginia of tomorrow, is the increased
facilities Of transportation between
the several regions of this state; that
it is making possible the results to be
desired from the efforts of all of us
who would be glad to do something
for RI 10 state 0f ours.
One of the topics most frequently
discussed at the State Board of
Trade meeting at Huntington was the
county of Berkeley, because you were
thoughtful enough to send that board
of business men, representative of the
whole state, apples enough to satisfy
them that this county was upon the
threshold Of a business development
Of its own. Since. It is all over, /