The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-07
AMBER OF COMMERCE.. 1917.
4. w +. Dabncy. Business Manager
>, Hugh Antrim, Second Vice President
6. r.. S Goodman, Traffic Manager

with pride to remember that. although
our city was practically pennilcs 81,
enough money was gotten together to
pay the interest on it's then outstan1-
ing bonded Indebtedness of 500
000. so that our city. even In ad-
versity. took care. of its obligations
and thereby established the high ba@is
Of credit which it has rad from that
time to this.
In 1857 out population was 1900
ana the value of our real estate and
personal property $220G0.00A. Today
our population is 10000 ana our
assrrsed values s202. o00. 600. with an
outstanding bonded Indebtedness Of
$4,000, 0o1. of which $4,000 600 IS
held in the sinking fund.
In 1857 the consumptipl ~ water
was s44,0000oo gallons Today we
use annually he billion gallons Of
water.
When the war closed I'm 1896 Rieh-
mend had no banking resources In
tive years n number at banks had
been started, three OF whi.'h are stiI
in usiness today--the Trniou hank
the First National bank and the
Planters National hank. the combined
capital of which fifty years ago, was
less than 100000 Today we have
twenty-five banking institutions. with
capital and surplus of about S2t .aUo. =
00n. and deposits OF over ss1 100000
with annual clearances Of sg3G.00o, =
600, not including the clearnnces of
the Federal Reserve bank. aggregat-
ing st.322. o00.o 900.
There are in the city. Of Richmond
tweutv-seven parks. with m area of
500 acres, 900 miles of streets. 341
miles Of sewers. $4,000 telenhoncs. an
,rYtr ~
cubic feet. forty five public schools
$4,000 scholars>, and postoflce re
ceipts Of over s1000,000
/ could continue reading statistics
Ike these, but on an occasion like
this am afraid they will soon hecor1e
tlresonie, but they show that the
growth of our city has been by lea 5.s
and bounds, and one must have small
vision who does not see in the future
great W'tcria' growth for Richmond
How we'll we have builded on the
foundations laid by those heroic
citizens who returned to Richmond
after the war to find themselves pen
niless and their city in ashes is self
evident! Those men. having an ahid-
ing faith in the future of their be.
loved city, set themselves rnsolutelv
10 the TASK az rebuilding their ruined
city and uDhuildjng their shattered
fortunes. The CITY TODAY Is a monu-
rnent TO their determination and their
foresight and I know In the future " e
Will build stu further on the founla
tons laid by the organizers Of this
chamber Of commerce.
FIFTY years ago we were lust e1nnrg-
ing from the trials Of the Civil war.
and vet onr soldiers In 1855. taking
the advice of General Lee, came back
with that determination which en-
ahled them to at once start the wo TX
OF rebuilding. Today the very flow ar
nf-our- Young manhood are offering
themselves to their country in de-
Tense of those principles for which
the Anglo Saxon race has ALWAYS
fought. That they will give n. good
account Of themselves none Of us
doubt Therefore with the situation
which now confronts NC while we will
carry on our civic activities, our ii ..st
thought at this time Is Of our coun-
try and our first duty to our country
and Richmond will measure IN jr,
this responsibility ms she has in every
responsibility OF the mast and nv self
sacrifice. devotion. determination and
cooperation 10 her full part in the
present great conflict.