The independent-reporter., 1910-09-29
SECRETARY'S ANNUAL REPORT

To the President and Members of the
Maine State Board of Trade:
The Maine State. Board of Trade
met Thursday, September %, in its
twenty-second annual meeting. Seven
teen years have rolled around since
the previous visit of the State Board
to Skowhegan, and in the intervening
years great is the transformation
that has been wrought. The fire
fiend has made numerous visitations,
devastating a large portion of the
business section, and yet with char
acteristic energy bigger and better
business blocks have been reared,
while the new Municipal building
would be credit to any city in Maine.
And the march of progress promises
to be still further accelerated when
the magnificent water power here at
Skowhegan Is more thoroughly utiliZ-
ed and developed. And the growth
and advancement is not altogether
confined to the f1ourishing town in
which we are, but Is shared in large
degree by neighboring towns along
the Upper Kennebec. Somerset coun-
ty has been making notable advance
ment industrially and in many ways,
and the immediate future of this i'm
portant section of Northern Maine is
full of promise.
And in coming here at this time it
is gratifying to find such evidences of
Board of Trade activity. In the early
days of the Skowhegan Board it was
potential factor in the community,
but in common with similar organiza-
tions in some other portions of Maine
it has had it's periods of quietude and
for a time 1t may have slumbered.
But thoroughly rejuvenated, and in
spired with new life, the Skowhegan
Board has for two years now been
one of the most numerous and stirring
boards in all Maine. And Madison,
which years ago had a Board of Trade,
five years ago resurrected the organi-
zation and it is now one of the strong
and influential boards of the State.
Within the present year two nearby
towns, Norridgewock up the river
and Canaan below, have each perfected
Board of Trade organization with
energetic and capable business men
at the head.
During the past twelve months
there have been organized in Maine
ten Boards of Trade and a Chamber
of Commerce. The new Boards are
located in Bethel, Canaan, Clinton,
Danforth, East Machias, Gorham, Mil
ford, Norridgewock, Sanford and
South Portland, and the Chamber of
Commerce in Bangor. The new or
ganizations start out under flourish
ing auspices and several of them
have a large membership. The Clin-
ton Board came into affiliation with
the State Board at the semi-annual
meeting in March, and applications
for membership are now on file from
a goodly number of the new organiZa-
tions, several of them being repre-
sented here by delegates. The Ban
gor Chamber of Commerce is en
amalgamation of the Board of Trade,
! Wholesale Merchants association, Re-
tail Merchants Association and
the Clothiers Association of that
city, and it's initial movement has
been the successful raising OF $780,
900 to enable the wheels of industry
to be set in motion at Bangor's idle
shoe factory.
At no time in the history of Maine
have business organizations been as
numerous or as influential as today
I In many and diverse ways these as
sociations of business men banded to-
gether from public-spirited motives
advance the welfare of their respec-
tive communities; and through their
membership in the State Board of
Trade they aid very materially in the
advancement of the commonwealth.
During the year death has entered
our ranks and removed Vice Presi-
dent Charles ]. Staples. The de-
ceased was for many years President
of the Lubec Board of Trade, and the
sudden death of this prominent bust
ness man of Washington county while
on trip to lake resort was severe
shock to those with whom he was as
sociated. During the early summer
there was removed one who was very
prominent in the State Boards early
days. Hon. William Wallace Stetson
formerly President of the American
Institute of instruction, State Super
intendent of Schools from 1895 to
1907, and Chairman of the Program
Committee of the Maine State Board
of Trade from 1891 to 1907, passed
away at his Auburn home after a
lingering illness, lamented by a wide
circle of friends.
In the realm of trade general con-
ditions are reasonably satisfactory.
Politics may have had a somewhat
disquieting effect, but with the cam
paign out of the way in Maine the at
mosphere SO far as this State is con-
cerned is clarified Weather condi-
tions have been ideal here through
most of the season and the agricul
turists report bountiful harvests. The
hay crop for 1910 has been very large
and of exceptional quality. The har
vest of sweet corn has been notably
good and the Gamers have a pack
much in excess of last year. And
as for potatoes the crop Is large and
the quality good. While the acreage
so far as Aroostook is concerned may
be less than last year. the conditions
for maturing the potatoes have been
excellent, and should satisfactory
prices prevail the farmers will reap
substantial returns.
Industrially there is general free
dom from strikes and prosperous con-
ditons as a rule prevail. Important
manufacturing plants are being erect
ed in different parts of Maine and the
outlook for the immediate future is
assuring. Cotton manufacturers
sometime since inaugurated an ex-
tensive curtailment but the period of
idleness in the Maine cotton mills Is
practically over. Lumber prices
have ruled lower than was expected
.vNA