The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-12

mally ushered in it's fall season al the
meeting of the members of the organi-
aztion Monday evening in the club
rooms at the Masonic Temple. The
business session was given over to
hearing reports from several commit
tees OF the club, and discussions OF
many questions of interest to the citi-
zens. After the business hour. the
Rev. Lightbourn gave an interesting
and instructive address on the subject
|of the "Bermudas." About forty local
business men were present at the
gathering.
President S. E. Swayne opened the
meeting shortly after eight o'clock in
the evening. Secretary Charles Jor-
dan read the minutes of the last reg
ular meeting of the members, held
some time last May Mr.. Swayne
then made few remarks in tribute of
the late George Dilks, who was one of
the directors of the club at the time
OF his death, recently.
The Secretary next announced a
convention of the Indiana Federation
of Commercial clubs, which is to be
held on the eighteenth and nineteenth
of October, in Fort Wayne. This fed
Grafton was organized some four years
ago by the Richmond Commercial
club, and has been prosperous and
beneficial institution ever since that
time. AS the organization is the re-
suit of efforts of this city, Mr.. Jor-
dan expressed the hope that Rich
mond would send as large a delega-
ton as possible to the gathering at
Fort Wayne.
Adam Bartel, as chairman Of the
clubs committee to organize the new
North and South" traction company,
was called on by the president to give
"a report of the progress in his work.
He announced that there would be a
meeting of the people interested in
the proposition next Friday night at
the Commercial club. At this meet
ing the route which the traction line
is to follow north of the city, will be
determined, and the Incorporation
will be discussed. 1t is also expected
that most of the stock will be sub
scribed for at the same time.
Mr.. Jordan said that the commit
tees first action was to send two dele
cations at different times, along each
of the suggested routes in the north
to find how the people regarded the
proposition, and to discover what diff
Ar ho n
ting through the line. Then the COM
mittee prepared a long list of ques-
tions concerning the towns on the new
line, and spent some time answering
these to their satisfaction. The leading
query, all the time, according to Mr..
Jordan, was whether they would be
able to get the money to finance the
work. The delegations that were sent
out to the small neighboring towns
reported that the people were anxious
for the line. and would support it
heartily. Speaking of the relative mer-
| it's Of the two possible routes in the
north, Mr.. Jordan said that larger
towns were on the route through Win
chester, while the county near Union
City was newer. and could probably
be developed. The question of determi-
ming which of the two is the better,
Mr.. Johnson declined to discuss until
next Friday. President Swayne closed
the discussion Of the traction situation
by thanking the men who were devot-
ing much of their time to the matter,
and who were responsible for the good
work already accomplished.
| The next matter to come before the
meeting was the situation at the Ma
tional Road west of the city. The pres
ident called on Mr.. E. M. Haas, chair
man OF the committee appointed to
Investigate the problem, to give re-
view OF the work that had been done
since the last meeting of the club in
the spring. Mr.. Haas said that the
committee did very little at first be-
cause the situation was such that no
action could be taken that would help
any. A short time ago, however, mat
tiers changed and the committee went
to work at once to study the history
OF the National road controversy.
Their findings, Mr. Haas said, could be
best set forth by having the secretary
read the official report of the commit
tee which was in the possession of the
secretary. After reading synopsis of
the report, Mr.. Jordan said the COM
mittee has been consulting both the
+. H. I. and e. Traction line and the
county commissioners. the opposing
parties, and find that it is now possible
that the company will agree to making
the road forty feet in width, and will
stand the cost of a large part of the
construction of the roadway, if the
county officials will not appeal their
suit to the supreme court and make
certain other minor concessions. This
course seemed to the club committee
the most satisfactory and Ukpedient,
as the committee said it would do
away with an infinite amount of ex-
pensive litigation, and will hasten the
work of the building the highway At
the end Of the hearing of the report,
Charles E. Shiveley made a motion
that the members of the club approve
the work Of the committee. and thank
them for their time and effort. The mo-
ton was passed unanimously. The
president assured the club that this