The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-23


| Chamber OF Commerce banquet last
night:
I'VE have come together tonight, not
to introduce any foreign celebrity, or
TO welcome any visiting convention.
but TO have heart to heart taik.
touching only our own concerns. We
have come together to get our menu
Ders in closer touch and 10 bring out,
as far as possible, fellow feeling
of CO. operation in every one here to
do all in his power in continuing this
good old city on her road to bigger
and higher things. A commercials body
such as our chamber of commerce
must have, for it's foundation prin-
ciples Of existence, an earnest desire
on the part Of those having its affaifs
in charge to do something above and
beyond the acts of selfish motives or
personal gain, and there must be an
underlying ambition TO be of use to
our associates In business and to act
with a concert of purpose for the gem
eral unlift and progress of every phase
of activity. With these principles
most magpficentfy exemplified by the
predecessors Of this administration,
| this old chamber has gone go far with
out a stain on her record, and | feel
most deeply the obligation placed on
me in these days of unparalleled OPP
portunity, and you are here tonight
TO give me an opportunity TO ask that
support and assistance that ] must
t have to fully discharge the great OBJ
legations that are placed on my snoui-
ders, when you SO charitably honofed
me with the Office OF president OF the
Richmond chamber OF commerce. We
have a great opportunity. We have a
CITY with home advantages excelling
{ e has lar f,ff g q
we have commercial and manufactur-
! ing advantages second to none. And
these great potentiaiities are being
recognized. and ii is the chamber OF
| commerce whose province 1t is to
see that we make no backward step
! and to conserve and bring to bear
every means of a continuance of the
large percentages which are the CROWN
| that has taken place in the past de-
cade.
! Being the central point of FIVE great
railroads. and the James river putting
these rates in many instances on a
water borne rate. Near the great coal
, fields of Virginia and West Virginia.
| Water power that has hardly been
! touched Fire insurance at the low
est possible rates. Our financial ana
| insurance companies growing by leaps
land bounds, resulting in an aSSumua-
! ton of money that, not only anords
most liberal and ample banking facil-
! tt;es for. o1r c,wr enterprises hut is at
| .ra,.;ro INC attantiop Of the whole,
| south f,ontented tabor. wei treated
and satisfied. and. above all, mechan-
| les OF the best type of manhood--our
fowyH people self respecting and loyal
| In giving and getting that which is
right and proper.
In our trip to Charlotte, n. c.,
was mueb impressed by the statement
of a gentleman who said that on some
| occasion. in another state. he 7aston.
| ishea his hearers bv saving that ht
| came frem n place where there had
never been an earthquake or cyclone
or where any one had ever had q
s,Instroke ar had ever frozen to death
and where there had never been a
strike And. for practical purposes
we ram claim the same conditions; as
we have. never had but one strike. and
| thar brought. about by a little French
| adventurer who ran as a street car
| conductor on the Forest Hill cars.
| tberafore saw. gentlemen. that we
wonId be moor custodians. indeed oi
| the great commercial interests of our
I citv. If. with all these natural am
| native advantages. we could not carry
en- the work. progress and develop.
ment.
The Richmond Chamber of Com
rnarce is divided into three distinct
i depaTtments. each co-ordinateI and
working together in the best possible
shirt
The traffic bureau working like the
engines Of the steamer way out of
the v-ay making mn partirt1far-f noise.
sts manager ALWAYS nj the helm. Civ
ing NO time to STEERING, awav from the
shoals and shadows than running on
them. ererv dav giving adxice TO those
involved in TRANSFORMATION perplexi-
ties and saving both the transporta-
tion comnanies and the individual
lime money and trouble. and ever
,,,tabirr tha fntarasts ~ the shin