Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-11
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING
In Favor of New Chamber OF Com
merce Held in City Hall, Waterville.


The meeting held in the interests of
the proposed Waterville Chamber of
Commerce OF those who signed the pc
tition agreeing to pay the annual dues.
held. Monday evening, in the alder
mems room, City hall, was well at
tended. with much interest evinced by
the business and professional men
present. The objects OF the proposed
Chamber OF Commerce and its history
To date were briefly recounted by Hon.
Frank Redington, who also told OF
some of the problems of the new body.
The Board Of Trade, said Mr.. Red
iugton. in effect, lived an honorable
existence in Waterville for 20 years.
and it must have been of some worth.
for no organization can live for that
length of time without being of value
The Merchants Association is a young
er body and is very much alive; it has
done much for the interests of Water
vile merchants. But it has been
thought best by many of the members
of both commercial bodies to unite into
one single, powerful organization, TO
work as unit for Watervilles well
fare. At the same time ii was stipu-
lated that in merging, the two organ
izations were to preserve their identi-
ty to certain extent IL they wish.
Following the example of the Boston
Chamber of Commerce, the Merchants
committee. to look after the welfare
of the retail merchants. much as the
old association has done. The new
Chamber of Commerce will be readily
affiliated with the state Board of
Trade; there win be no trouble in that
direction.
When the committee appointed for
the purpose of getting signers for the
Chamber of Commerce set to work,
they agreed to organize when 100 mem
bers We're secured. The 100 members
were so easily secured. however that
1t was thought advisable to keep on
until $50 we're secured. At the present
time. we have 1873.
The duties of the Chamber of Com
meree viii be much similar to the old
Board of Trade. except. perhaps that
they will be slightly larger in scope: it
will he interested in more things of
definite interest to Waterville. The
Chamber OF Commerce starts in very
auspiciously. Great interest is being
taken, and there is no doubt but that
the project will! be pushed through to
completion.
The income of the organization,
with the dues at $12 per year per
member, win be over $500 When
this was known, many questioned
whether we would need such a large
sum as that, and suggested that we
lower the dues. 1t is probable that
$500 will not be too large. We need
a good secretary, and the committee
| has thought that the best plan would
be to get a man who would devote
part of his time to the work, and pay
him from $500 to $500 a year, We
would want someone TO look after
matters energetically, to make the
members pay promptly their dues, TO
leave no stone unturned to advance
Waterville's commercial interests in
every way, and particularly obtaining
new industries for the city, and. doing
efficiently the many duties of Cham
her of Commerce secretary. We have
| thought it better to get good man
on part time, than someone who would
| devote all of his time at from 5000 to
$1,000 a year for services We think
that the part time man would achieve
the results fully as well.
1t would be advisable to have an
Office of our own in the downtown sec
| ton, where the members could go dur
| ing the day. and enjoy reading mat
| ter, consult with each other, am
where the secretary would hold forth
| for collection of dues and SO on 1t
would not be advisable to depend up
on getting meeting place III these al
dermen,s rooms. and sometimes be
disappointed.
Another thing that would take a
part of our income would be an an
nual banquet. The people who signed
the Chamber of Commerce petition
have been advised that the $12 will
cover practically all of their annual
expenses. which means that at least
one banquet will take $15S from the