Gentlemen, your new President for the coming year!
President LA LANNE resumed the Chair.

Mr. VIAUX. I have an additional report to make.

Your committee also reports his able coadjutors, CLINTON WHITE and WILLIAM HARRIS DOUGLAS, for re-election for First and Second Vice-President of the Board, and as Treasurer, WILLIAM R. TUCKER, who has so long and ably served it as its Secretary and as its Treasurer.

This report is respectfully submitted, signed by FREDERICK H. VIAUX, CHARLES ENGLAND, W. T. ROBINSON and ACHILLE STARACE.

On motion of Mr. LOGAN, the ballot of the Board was cast by the Secretary in favor of the nominees respectively reported from the committee, and the Chair declared them unanimously elected.

The PRESIDENT.-Gentlemen, I gratefully appreciate the compliment of being elected as your President. I want to say that my five years of the Presidency of this important organization have been the five most agreeable years of my life. I say that advisedly, because while holding the office of President of this great organization I think I have been brought into close and pleasant relationship, not only with the President of the United States, but with all the cabinet ministers and very many members of the Senate and the House; also everywhere I have gone to visit and I have visited many parts of the country-I think, without exception, I have been treated in the most distinguished manner; I have been met by warm, close and real friends, the best merchants, bankers, manufacturers and public men of the country, and so I feel that my position as your presiding officer has given me very much power for the performance of this pleasant work. In doing that work I have steered the best I could, and next year I will do the very best I can. My health is not particularly good, and I had expected that another man would be your President the coming year, because I had thought of traveling around the world with my family for two years, something

I have looked forward to during the last twenty-five years. But, serving as your President, my trips will have to be very short.

I desire to say that the usefulness and influence of the Board have grown much by reason of having a Commissioner permanently in Washington, Mr. ANDERSON, who can be in our service every day of the year. He will always be at his post to attend to matters here, so that if delegates have any suggestions to make, let them be made to Mr. ANDERSON; or if there are any interviews to be arranged for with members of Congress or Senators, Mr. ANDERSON will be in his office, ready to make assignments with committees; and he, himself, being an excellent speaker, will be able to go with any committee of the Board who come to Washington and at their behest to do what they request. It is a very important matter that the National Board of Trade is able to keep a gentleman as Commissioner who has his office permanently in Washington.

I thank you, gentlemen.

[Applause.]

It has always been our custom to appoint a delegate to escort each of the various officers to the platform in order that they may express their recognition of or thanks for their election. The Chair accordingly appoints Mr. FERNLEY to escort to the platform our newly elected First Vice-President, Mr. CLINTON WHITE, of Boston.

Mr. FERNLEY accordingly escorted Mr. WHITE to the platform.

The PRESIDENT.-Gentlemen, here is your new Vice-President.

Mr. WHITE.-Gentlemen, I fully recognize the honor you have conferred upon me by re-electing me as your First Vice-President. Under the very able management and leadership of our President the office of First Vice-President in this organization is one that does not require very much work. I have heretofore placed myself at the President's disposal for anything I could do for him within the scope of my abilities.

I thank you, gentlemen. [Applause.]

The PRESIDENT.-The Chair now appoints Mr. ENGLAND, of Baltimore, to escort to the platform our new Second Vice-President, Hon. Wм. HARRIS DOUGLAS.

Mr. ENGLAND accordingly escorted Mr. DOUGLAS to the platform.

Mr. DOUGLAS.-Gentlemen, I desire to thank the National Board of Trade most sincerely and to express my appreciation for the honor they have conferred upon me for the second time.

I am one of those who thoroughly believe that it is the duty of every citizen of this country to take an active part, so far as lies within his power, in the administration of affairs of State, and if he is not able to hold office, the next best thing a man can do is to encourage National organizations such as this.

While at times we may be discouraged and think that the seeds we plant do not grow into vigorous trees, yet I do believe that we are not right in that, yielding to that feeling, but that what we do at these meetings does contribute very largely and very materially to the advancement of the Government along those proper and honest lines which all American citizens should advocate. [Applause.]

I am very glad to know that this Board is going to start on a new era, and that we have determined that, so far as lies within our power, we propose to extend the influence and the power of this organization. Exactly along which lines or what paths we shall have to walk in order to accomplish those desirable purposes I cannot say, but we have appointed an able committee, and I am satisfied that they will give us an able report. So that all we need do, then, is to stand back of them to see that we increase and extend our membership and our influence.

I am a firm believer that in the years to come we shall all be able to look back with pleasure and satisfaction to the meetings we have had here.

I know that you will all appreciate the fact that we owe our President a debt of great gratitude for the efforts he has made in our behalf, often without that encouragement

which we might have given him if we had known he desired it, or if we had been present with him to extend it, for surely he has done everything within his power to make this organization what we all expect and desire. [Applause.]

Personally, I would simply state that the men here present know that I have evinced an earnest desire to help the organization, as evidenced by the fact that I have attended these meetings regularly for the past six years. I like to work in the ranks. I like to mix with the boys and know what is going on, and take that part which we all should take. I have no sympathy with those who are on committees and shirk their duties. Of course, the gentlemen here this morning do not shirk their duties, but in many cases men come here and do not give their time and attention to their duties as they should. I hope that this little suggestion thus thrown out may attract their attention, so that when we meet next year every man named by the Chair as a member of a committee will know that the President expects him to do his duty by this organization and to attend our meetings and take part in their deliberations. I thank you again for your attention. [Applause.]

The PRESIDENT.-The Chair now appoints Hon. GEORGE F. STONE, of Chicago, to escort our newly elected Treasurer to the platform. His name is WILLIAM R. TUCKER. [Applause.]

Mr. TUCKER has concluded not to be your Secretary again. His business affairs have increased and his duties at his home are such that he cannot give time any longer for the performance of the duties as Secretary, but he has kindly consented to continue to be your Treasurer.

Mr. STONE.-Mr. President and gentlemen, it affords me very great pleasure to introduce to you your newly elected Treasurer and at the same time to express my and your highest appreciation of the services that Mr. TUCKER has rendered to the National Board of Trade through so many years. All of us who have known him so long are not unmindful of his peculiar, special and exceptional qualifications to fill such an office and we are also glad to recognize the

invaluable services he has performed, not only for this Board, but in behalf of the varied interests throughout the country which the National Board of Trade through a long series of years has sought to further. Gentlemen. I cannot exaggerate, even were I so disposed, my appreciation of Mr. TUCKER'S many qualifications for the position of Treasurer of this association, but I desire to repeat my own appreciation of the service he has already rendered to the National Board of Trade. That service has been not only ably performed, but most courteously rendered, and such courtesy, I am very glad to say, has been a very natural manifestation of Mr. TUCKER's qualifications; they have been

As effortless as violets

In woodland nooks opening to the blue.

Mr. TUCKER.-Mr. President, I am certainly under extreme embarrassment after having received such a beautiful presentation to you as can be made, I believe, by but one man in this assembly, and that is Mr. GEORGE F. STONE, of Chicago. [Applause.] I can well remember Mr. STONE'S most beautiful, expressive and touching eulogy as to the services of the gentleman whom I succeeded-Mr. HAMILTON ANDREWS HILL-and should be glad indeed, if time permitted, to read those expressions for the benefit of the delegates who never read them, or, if they have read them, have forgotten them.

I certainly appreciate his kind expressions, coming, as they do, from a man who knows whereof he speaks. There is no man here who knows him but knows his good work in the advancement of the commercial interests of his section of the country, his love of civic duty and his admirable and intelligent way of carrying out that love. All who know him will agree with what I have said.

Now, one word for myself. On the death of HAMILTON ANDREWS HILL, which occurred suddenly in Boston in the spring of 1895, I was called upon by the Hon. FREDERICK FRALEY, so long your President, to perform the duties of the office of Secretary, which I have endeavored to perform in a way that seems to have met with the commendation of a man whose good opinion I certainly appreciate. I do not,