The first meeting of the new Board of Trade was held on June 22, 1904, at which the following officers were elected Palmer Campbell, President ; William M. Cahill, Vice-President; F.K. Hopkins, Secretary; E.D. Vanderbilt. Treasurer, and the following Trustees: Charles Fall, George A. Berger, Robert R. Debacher, Henry Mehl.

The first meeting of the Trustees was held on June 28, 1904. Regular meetings of the Board and of the Trustees have been held on the dates specified in the by-laws, and in addition there have been special meetings, as the occasion seemed to require.

Many questions of general interest have been discussed and acted upon at the meetings of the Board, after careful consideration by the respective committees to which they had been referred, and recommendations made to the proper city authorities expressing the opinions of the Board. There have also been a number of hearings given to the Board by the respective City authorities, and the latter have also appeared before the Board to ask its co-operation.

Among the many matters considered or acted upon by the Hoard the following may be named as worthy of special notice:

• Sewerage.
  The matter of an effective sewerage system was referral to a committee which made ail elaborate report to the Board on September 14, 1904. The matter was acted upon by the Committee of the Whole on October 26, 1906, that committee reporting in favor of what is known as the pimping system. The committee was instructed to wait upon the Mayor and Council and ask their co-operation, which was accordingly done, and the recommendations of the Board given proper consideration.

• Fiftieth Anniversary.
  At the meeting of the Board on March 15, 1905, Mayor Adolph Lankering and the members of the City Council appeared and asked the co-operation of the Board in making the commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the City of Hoboken, a credit to the city. A committee was appointed to assist the city authorities, and on lurch 28, 1905, the Board took a conspicuous part in the celebration, being well represented in the parade, and giving its being well represented in the parade, and giving its first annual banquet on the evening of that day.

• Consolidation of Municipalities.
  The committee to consider the advisability of the consolidation of municipalities in the northern end of Hudson County was appointed on October 11, 1905 and has given the matter careful consideration. There has been much discussion upon the subject, but, as yet, nothing has been effected in that direction.

• County Park in Hoboken.
  As early as October 11, 1905, a committee was appointed to urge upon the Hudson County Park Commission the advisability of selecting a site for a county park in Hoboken, to include the property known as the St. George Cricket Grounds. This duty the committee performed. The site named has been selected by the Comity Park Commission, and condemnation proceedings are in progress to acquire it.

• Grade Crossings.
  The Board has always taken deep interest in the question of eliminating the railroad grade crossing at Willow Avenue and Seventeenth Street, and several discussions have been held, at which differing opinions have been expressed by members as to the best means to abolish the grade crossing entirely or to diminish the inconveniences and clangers that arise from its maintenance. On December 12, 1905 the Railroad Committee was authorized to employ counsel to advise concerning the process to be inaugurated to obliterate the crossing.

• Water Supply.
  The Board has always urged the increase of the water supply of the City, and has clone everything in its power that was proper to secure that end. On January 22, Water Commissioners of this City, when the proper means to be taken to secure a sufficient water supply for the City were discussed and an agreement substantially reached. The necessary legislation has been secured, and the new water mains are in course of construction.

• Viaduct.
  Action upon the best site, in the opinion of the Board, for the proposed new viaduct was taken by the Board at its meeting, held on March 15, 1905. The Fourteenth Street site was endorsed, and the Board of Chosen hreeholders urged to select that location. This site has been chosen by the Board of Freeholders, the necessary property condemned, and plans for the new structure agreed upon.

• Public Utilities.
  The character of the services being rendered by the public utilities corporation in Hoboken have had of the Telephone Company appeared before the Board to make explanation of its service, and stated the character of the important the attention of the Board. On April 11, 1906, representatives, improvements that corporation proposed to inaugurate. On the same (late, representatives of the Public Service Corporation appeared before the Board in reference to the Gas and Electric Light Departments of that corporation.

• Hudson River Bridge.
  Discussions have been had on the subject of the proposed Inter-State Bridge across the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York City, and a committee has been appointed to consider the question, so far as the interests of Hoboken are concerned.

On February 14, 1906, Mr. Frederick K. Hopkins, Secretary of the Board, resigned that office, and Mr. C. Alfred Burhorn was elected Secretary.

The membership of the Hoboken Board of Trade has been made up of active business and professional men, and the work done by the Board has given evidence of the individual interest which has been taken by a large number of these men, who have given active attention to its affairs. While this Board has done a great deal of work, which has been of material benefit to its members and to the citizens at large, the main value which it has been to this community has been the fact that it has called attention of the authorities to things 'that were necessary to be clone, and has, in a large measure, educated the public spirit and the civic pride, which existed in this community, but needed the leadership of just such an organization to bring it to a point where it would be of influence.

There is no question but that the two most important matters which the Board of Trade has pushed will now be shortly brought to a fruition, namely, a proper sewerage system, and an efficient water supply. The. latter is already being provided.

The recommendations of the Board for the acquisition of the Cricket Grounds for a County Park, and for the selection of Fourteenth Street as 'the proper location for the viaduct, have also been carried out by the County Park Commissioners and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The Hoboken Board of Trade has also called tile attention of the outside world to the natural advantages which Hoboken possesses as a manufacturing town.