The Portland daily press., 1876-02-04
The National Beard Of Trade.


The following extracts from an article in the
current issue of the American Grocer give an
excellent idea of the suggested International
Trade Congress-
We have had in this country for several years
an able and influential organization known as
the National Board of Trade. 1t is, as its title
imports, representative body composed of
delegates chosen from the various local COM
mercial organizations, whether known as
Chambers OF Commerce, Exchanges or Boards
of Trade that exist in the different commercial
centres of the United States As its constitu-
ency comprises the most active, intelligent and
enterprislng merchants of the country, and
includes within its membership a large proper
ton OF the available wealth and capital of the
mercantile community, 1t is evident that such
an organization is calculated to exercise very
marked influence upon the vast trade interests
which come within its range. That much ben
eht has already resulted from the deliberations
of the Board we are fully persuaded. 1t has
brought together in amicable conterencei the
representative men not only of widely sepa-
rated sections of our common country, but
of the various branches of trade which enter
into the commerce of the United States. 1t
has tended to harmonic antagonistic interests;
to unity and consolidate the great community,
whose operations control the markets of the
Western, and largely affect those of the Eas-
tern world; to bring the representatives of the
different trade centres into intimate personal
contact and acquaintance with each other; to
direct attention to prevalent abuses; to suggest
appropriate reforms, and to point out the best
methods of efecting them. 1t has contributed
to give feeling of conscious dignity to Trade
by showing the merchants of the land their
honorable and responsible prominence in the
business world, the vastness OF the interests OF
which they are the legitimate guardians, the
present grandeur and the prospective glory of
American Commerce.
Now while our great Centennial Jubilee
promises to draw together, in fraternal inter-
course, the remotest quarters of our immense
domain, and while foreign nations are evincing
laudable interest in our patriotic celebration,
it seems to us an opportune season for assem-
bling the National Board of Trade upon scale
hitherto uninterrupted, and for widening the
scope ofits operations, at least for the time, SO
as to impart to it the character of grand
Ecumenical Commercial Council. We propose,
in brief, an International Trade Congress. to
be made up of delegates from all the great
representative commercial bodies of the United
States and of the whole commercial world. Let
the Executive Committee of the National AS
ISOLATION at once meet, and prepare an address
of invitation to be sent abroad to the promi-
nent Trade organizations of Europe, Asia, and
Australia, soliciting their cooperation in this
cosmopolitan enterprise. Fix upon Philadel-
phia as the appropriate site for holding the
Congress, and the month of June or July as
the suitable time for the meeting. Let it it be
urged upon the foreign Boards to select each
one or more OF their ablest men to prepare for
public delivery essays upon topics germane to
the leading design of the assembly 1t would
be presumptuous in us to dictate programme
for so important and able body. An Infinite
diversity of subjects of discussion, in their ma
ture both vastly entertaining and highly useful
would doubtless suggest themselves to the
thoughtful and intensely practical members of
the Congress thus convened. They might ex-
anime, collate, and compare the various inter-
national treaties which regulate commercial
intercourse amongst the civilized countries of
the globe, with the view of establishing uni
formity, as far as practicable, in mercantile
transactions. BY this means the inequalities
and useless restrictions which hamper and cur
tell trade operations. would be brought into
prominent view, and the best means of remov-
ing them would perhaps be readily suggested.
The great mass of customs and precedents,
which from ages of accumulation constitute
the lea non scripta of commercial affairs, could
thus be sifted, criticised, approved or con-
demned. Many of them originated in remote
eras, and were designed to meet state of bust
were the outgrowth of absurd and tyrannical
enactments Many of them were absurd, even
10 the age in which they had their birtb and
have grown more impracticable and irrelevant
with each successive advance in civilization.
Another important topic which might we'll
engage the thoughts and the labors of such a
Convention is the simplifcation of currency,
weights and measures, and their reduction to a
uniform standard capable of universal adop-
ton. 1t is we'll known that one of the most
perplexiDg aud vexatious features of CONNER
cial communications with foreign countries
grows out of the complex and puzzling varie-
ties presented by the coins and measures of diff
fsrent peoples. The customs business of every
country, becomes from this source, unnecessa
rily cumbrous and perplexing, requiring an
army of officials and an outlay of money, which
might both be advantageously curtailed by the
introduction of uniformity in the above partic-
ulars Again, foreign exchange is business
whose complications and inducements grow
out of the same cause, and it is obvious that
reduction of currencies to universal standard
of fixed values would facilitate the transactions
of trade thousand fold. In connection with
the above subjects, we would suggest a discus
sion of the questions of authorizations, short
weights, light tares, false brands, and trade
abuses in general. In the presence of represent
tative men from all of the great food producing
countries, to speak for the grocery trade, it
would seem easy to fasten the responsibility for
sophstications and frauds upon the localities
where they originate, and the parties who prac-
tce them. A closely allied topic is that of
trade marks. their origin, meaning, value, linn
ittations, and legitimate uses.
P. S.-Since writing the above we notice that
Peru has already taken the lead in suggesting
q Congress of Jurists, composed CT delegates
Of accomplishing uniformity in coinage, weights
and measures, legal codes and postal rates.
Let such delegates meet with an International
Trade Congress at Philadelphia this year.
Whatever measures are deemed advisable can.
not be put into practical operation except
through the cordial cooperation of the COM
mercial classes.