[Trade Journal]
Publication: Annual Report of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce (19th Annual Report of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce)
Cincinnati, OH, United States
p. 1,5-8,66-68, col. 1
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.
AND
MERCHANT'S EXCHANGE,
FOR THE
COMMERCIAL YEAR, ENDING AUGUST 31st, 1867,
CINCINNATI:
GAZETTE STEAM PRINTING HOUSE, CORNER FOURTH AND VINE STS.
1867.
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Report of the Board of Directors.
ANNUAL MEETING.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CINCINNATI, September 15, 1867.
To the Members of the Chamber of Commerce:
Your Board of Officers, on surrendering the trust reposed in them during the past year, have the pleasure to report that the affairs of the Chamber are in a prosperous condition, and that the association retains in a full degree its position of usefulness to the mercantile community as well as its just influence in regard to such matters of public policy as it is deemed fit for it to take action upon.
Soon after our organization a change in the hour of daily meeting was solicited, and after due time for consideration by the members they voted to meet at eleven to twelve and three quarters o'clock. There seems to be full satisfaction now with this change.
The regulations in regard to inspections that had been adopted during the previous year, were put in force at the time appointed, and are regarded as a great improvement upon the loose, irregular system that had been in vogue. The control of these matters by the Chamber is demonstrated to be a desirable achievement.
Attention has, from time to time, been given to needed reforms in telegraphic reports of other markets . Through the vigilant care of the Superintendent, wholesome changes have been made, resulting in a material reduction of the cost of them without impairing their value.
The propriety of enlarging the records of transactions in the leading trade articles, of securing certain statistical matters in fuller detail, and of furnishing ample, reliable reports of the markets came up in the course of the consideration of the application of three of the daily papers, to have the sum charged for market reports abated, and the proprietors of the papers allowed to take regular membership. The whole subject was referred to a special committee, who promptly gave it very thorough attention, and made important recommendations. These recommendations were, in brief, that the Chamber should spare no pains to have its influence extended for the benefit of all branches of trade, and that to this end its compilations of statistics already so valuable, should be made more full, its records of sales more comprehensive, and its market reports brought up to the highest point of accuracy and completeness. The report of this committee was unanimously approved, and, in accordance with its spirit, additional force has been employed which will, it is hoped, serve better the growing wants of the Chamber in this regard.
A committee appointed early in the year, to have in charge the object of securing suitable accommodations for the Chamber, has had the matter under consideration, with some encouragement to hope that they will be able to submit an important project, though it has not yet been sufficiently developed to warrant any report.
A River Improvement Convention of delegates from various Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce in the places interested in the matter, was held in St. Louis, in February last. Its action was such as to put in operation instrumentalities, that ought to result in securing at the hands of Congress, the means necessary to complete the enlargement of the Canal at Louisville or to build a new one, and to remove from the Mississippi River all prominent obstacles to its safe, speedy navigation. We have reason to be assured that the efforts of this Chamber, hitherto from time to time made, to secure the first of these important objects, are more likely to have their desired fruit from the action of that convention than in any other way, and as our interests in the improvement of the Mississippi are scarcely second to those we have in the Ohio , this body should relax no effort to make the steps there taken, effective. The Government has, in pursuance to an act of Congress, engineers already at work on surveys and estimates of the work at the Falls of the Ohio, and is progressing with a portion of the work on the Mississippi, but there will be necessary further co-operation with the executive committee of the convention in the work that was assigned it.
The Albany (N. Y.) Board of Trade some months ago made an effort to secure such united action on the part of similar associations as should result in the adoption of the cental [sic] central system of measurement in handling grain. The proposition was generally and promptly favored, but a time for the inaguration [sic] inauguration of the change from the old plan was not uniformly agreed on. Something of an effort though was made by most of the associations to put the cental [sic] central measurement in operation on the first day of March. Our Chamber heartily approved the change, but recommended September 1st as the most suitable time for the change. The chief reason for this was that that date nearly corresponds to the close of business in old crops of grain, and the beginning of it in new. Besides this, a postponement until that date would have given more ample time for needed preparation. The attempt to inaugurate the change on the 1st of March failed, partly from lack of time, but mainly because of the captiousness of men who, having the power to embarrass the movement, did so, greatly to the detriment of the general convenience, and in violation of an enlightened sense of what is equitable in trade. Not, however, discouraged by this failure, the New York Corn Exchange proposed that a convention of delegates from Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce should be held, to devise means of effecting the change. This proposition was also generally approved, but it also, from lack of definiteness as to the time and place of holding the convention, failed. These discouragements should cause no cessation of labor to secure the change, not only because of its desirableness on its own merits, but because it is a step in unison with a movement to introduce a universal system of decimal computations. The consideration of this, as well as other important matters, among which most prominent is the propriety of organizing a National Chamber of Commerce, make it extremely desirable that a convention of representatives of all the Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce should be held at an early day at some easily accessible place. It ought indeed to be held before the next session of Congress, in order that such legislation as shall be deemed to be necessary may be promptly secured.
The efforts of the Chamber to arouse the public spirit that is necessary to secure the construction of a railroad from this point directly to the interior south have been furthered by your Board as far as seemed possible, but with no assurance that success is any nearer attainment than it was a year ago. The apathy as to this matter may well occasion profound surprise since no argument against the project in any one of its practicable phases has ever been presented.
An officer of the Birmingham (England) Chamber of Commerce was accredited in a formal manner to this Chamber, and visited here during the month of March. An informal meeting was held for an interview with him upon general topics, and especially as to the exemption of vessels on the high seas engaged in civil service, from seizure by belligerent nations. The interchange of views was pleasant, and, we have reason to hope, not without advantage.
The action of the Chamber in reference to a new form of bill of lading required of the Merchants by the Charitable Marine Association, is fresh in the minds of the members. It is to be regretted that a variance of views, and positions became so decided as to render an harmonious adjustment of differences a difficult matter. The merchants, and all transportation companies, or agents have interests in common too closely knit, to warrant the belief that either will adhere to any position that would affect disastrously the interests of the other. If in this case both parties claim, as they doubtless will, that only that which is right and just will be required, there certainly would seem to be no sound reason why measures that will not compromise the rights or dignity of either may not be taken, to adjust the difference, or at least come to a full and fair understanding.
Among the most pleasurable reflections as to the acts of the Board and of the Chamber during the past year, are those derived from the consciousness that they were largely instrumental in alleviating distress for food in the South, by the measures that were taken to receive, collect, and distribute liberal contributions of money and articles of food. The efficient manner in which the members of your special committee discharged their laborious duties are worthy of warmest commendation, and there has, perhaps, been a remissness that they have not received, in a formal manner, a testimonial of the Chamber's appreciation of their faithful and arduous service.
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