The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-11-05
BOARD OF TRADE HOLDS
MONSTER MEETING
Monday Night and Inaugu-
rates Campaign for Per-
manent Roads.
Citrus Canker Resolutions Adopted
President Tillinghast Reelected
by Acclamation.

Obedient to a call issued by Secre-
tary W. F. Glynn of the board of
trade majority of the male popula-
ton Of Crescent City, together with
a number of prominent ladies', attend
ed the annual meeting of the board
of trade at the Auditorium on Monday
night.
On calling the meeting to order
President Tillighast explained some
what of the boards work in the past
several years and pointed out the i'm
portance of such body to the COM
munity; how an organized body could
attend to matters concerning the well
fare of the town which individuals
would naturally consider as in the
nature of "everybody's being nobody's
business" and let alone. He urged
the cooperation of all citizens of the
place in support of the boards work.
His remarks were received with en-
thusiastic applause.
On opening the books for new men,
bers some 80 or more were proposed
and elected.
Several reports of standing or spe-
cial committees were made, and sew
eral matters of new business were
entertained and disposed of. Among
these was a communication from D.
c. Gillitt, president of the Tampa
board of trade asking the cooperation
of the board in the fight to eradicate
citrus canker, deadly enemy of the
citrus fruit industry which has recent
ly gotten a foot-hold in the state and
has spread to II counties.
In this connection President Tilling-
hast called Vice President E. H. Will
liams to the chair, after which he in
troduced the following preamble and
resolution, which were unanimously
adopted:
Whereas, The citrus fruit industry
of Florida, aggregating an annual
crop of from eight million to ten mill
ion boxes, and certain to increase, I'M
der favorable conditions, more than
100 per cent. within the next ten
years, is second in Importance to no
other industry in the state, And
Whereas, Thousands of citizens of
other states have made large invest
ments here, based on citrus fruit
growing to which our soil and climate
are specially adapted. And
Whereas, A virulent, destructive,
and thus far, uncontrolled disease
known as citrus canker, has been
brought into Florida from abroad,
spread into seventeen counties, and
the states of Alabama, Mississippi,
louisiana, and Texas, and threatens
to Immediately destroy citrus fruit
growing. And
Whereas, After two years of une-
quail struggle, the growers and the
people of Florida have to acknowledge
their inability to stamp out, or per-
manently check the spread of this
highly infectious disease. During
this time the legislature of Florida
has appropriated $125,000 and grow
ers have individually contributed as
large an amount beside burning to
the ground hundreds of thousands of
infected or exposed trees, involving
loss of millions of dollars.) And
| Whereas, All available funds, includ-
ing $4,000 appropriated by congress
for this state Tin addition to $4,000
for other affected states), are nearly
exhausted, Therefore,
Resolved, That our senator's and
representatives in Congress are
hereby most urgently requested to do
all in their power to secure an APP
preparation ample for continuing the
warfare against this persistent and
deadly enemy of fruit growing, the
most malignant with which we have
commended.
Resolved, That copy of these res
olutions be sent to each member of
the Florida delegation at Washing
| ton, and to D. G. Gillett, chairman of
the state Citrus Canker committee at
Tampa.
Following the adoption of these
resolutions Mr.. E. H. Williams spoke
of the Importance of the Fruitland
Peninsula joining in the present move
ment throughout the county and state
in the interests of permanent roads.
He stated that a number of citizens
had recently discussed the matter for
this section and they had reached the
conclusion that this board could at
least take the initiative to the extent
of calling a general meeting of the
taxpayers of the district to discuss
the subject. He thought that if the
meeting was held that it should be
held as soon as possible, as many
would be too busy in orange ship
ping in two weeks to give the subject
the attention it deserved. He there
fore made a motion that the secre-
tary be requested to call convention
to meet at the Auditorium in Crescent
City, on Friday afternoon, the 18th
inst; that invitations be sent to all
parts of the First Commissioners
district, and that a committee of five
be appointed to assist the secretary
in arranging for this convention.
This resolution was unanimously
adopted, and the chair appointed
Messrs. E. H. Williams, R. c. Mid
dleton, X. Borson, T. C. Darby, ST.,
| and Geo. w. Seaton.
This committee hopes to have
monster meeting of the business men
and growers of the entire Fruitland
Peninsuar-a great roads convention
at which the matter of a hard sur
face road through the peninsula. from
Dunn's Creek bridge to the Volusia
county line, the same to be link in
the great Central Florida Highway
from Jacksonville to Tampa, may be