Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-25


Rockland Board of Trade a dozen or so
years ago. Mr.. Donohue has been widely
known because of his valuable labors as
Maine Commissioner of Sea and Shore
Fisheries, a position he filled with signal
ability from 1907 to 1918. Mr.. Donohue
has been very prominent in the activi-
ties of the State Board and Maine 1920.
and in his demise the State has met with
severe loss
The Maine winter has been character
ICED by protracted cold and large vol
ume of snow. but this has been favorable
to hauling and numbering conditions have
been exceptionally good Trade has
been reasonably large in volume and
iobbers report collections fair. There
has been generally freedom from
strikes, and Names industrial plants are
as rule prosperous although there has
been curtailment in some quarters due
to notifications in the tariff. Maine is
advancing as a winter resort State and
a steadily increasing number of resort
houses and camps are kept open the
year round. the proprietors reporting
business quite satisfactory. Agricultur-
ally Maine is making steady advance
of promise. t y. -lr
Instead of reviewing exhanstiyeiy
Names business conditions / have
thought best at this time to devote
considerable portion of my report to
review of interesting Investigations re-
garding Names commercial bodies. IN
the opening days of 1914 the secretary
mailed to practically every local CONNER
cial organization in the State letter
with blanks to be filled out and accom-
panied by an addressed envelope duly
stamped The inquiries We're briefly as
follows Place name of commercial or
ganization year when organized; MEM
bership Jan. /, 1914; name of president;
name of secretary; number of meetings
held in 1913: membership attendance; and
general remarks. The outcome of this
correspondence has been the accumula-
ton of a large fund of interesting and
instructive information. There have
been instances in which for one reason
or another replies have not been received
and in some cases the responses have
not been as specific as had been hoped
for, but in the main officials have been
prompt and painstaking in their efforts
and the courtesy thus shown is highly
appreciated.
There is opportunity for only a cursory
review of the wealth of material thus
placed at my command, but it is most
forcible demonstration of the multiplying
membership and increasing influence OF
Names commercial organizations In
numbers they are about 100 and in MEM
bership approximate 5000 business men.
More than two-thirds of these organiZa-
tions, with a membership of $40. have
been voted into membership with the
State Board Some of these have not
been regular in representation at the
State Board meetings and several are in
arrears in dues, yet those most active
and best known for substantial accom-
plishments are usually in close touch
with the State Board. BY q union of eff
fort and cooperation all along the line
this host of wide awake and progressive
business men can accomplish almost
anything they undertake.
Boards OF Trade are to be found all
over Maine from York county to Aroos-
took and from the hills of Oxford to the
shores of Passamaauoddy. Portland is
the oldest and strongest with record. of
three-score years and membership of
Se3. There are Boards OF Trade in every
county in the State and some of these
are very active. In Aroostook there is
an Aroostook Board of Trade only re-
Gently organized. Next to Portland Au
gusta has the largest Board of Trade in
the State with a reported membership of
1874 and Auburn, Camden. Gardiner. Cor
ham, Livermere Falls. Pressure Isle, San
ford, Skowhegan and Warren all report
a membership in excess of 100. There
are large number of Boards of Trade
throughout the State with membership
of from so to 100 and in many cases they
are exceedingly active and have accom-
plished much for their localities. There
are also Boards of Trade with still
smaller membership that in their re-
spective localities have done much TO ad-
vance the welfare of their communities.
Not infreauently Boards of Trade may
for a time lie dormant yet when the
awakening does come results substantial
are accomplished. Ninalhaven has the
newest Board of Trade with SO members,
and il comes into utilization with the
State Board at this time. The Gardiner
Board has inaugurated a movement to
secure women members and among those
enrolled is Mrs. Laura E. Richards.
Chambers of Commerce have sprung
up in recent years in Maine. and in num-
erous instances Boards of Trade and kin
bred associations have been merged into
the new organization. On January 1, the
Lewiston Chamber of Commerce with 4lo
enrolled, had the largest membership of
any chamber in Maine. but since that date
the Bangor Chamber of Commerce as the
outgrowth of vigorous campaign has
increased it's membership by over 800, the
present enrolment being 521, thus placing
1t first in membership among Maine
Chambers of Commerce. There are also
fourishing Chambers of Commerce at
Waterville, Rockland, Old Town, Houl-
ton, Rumford. Kingfield and Bath, most
of them being in affiliation with the
State Board
In the line of Business Mems Associa-
tons the Biddeford Association is the
largest with membership of $50, and
under the leadership of Secretary Love-
lace, live wire who has come into the
State within the past year. much has