Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-14
BOARD OF TRADE
Annual Meeting of the Organization
Held Last Evening.
PRESIDENTS REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Secretary Reports Rapid Growth
in Membership.
ELECTION DIRECTORS

The annual meeting of the Board of Trade
was held last evening in the assembly hall
at Rauscher's, Connecticut avenue and L
street, and proved to be an occasion Of
profit as well as of pleasure. 1t was strictly
a business meeting, called for the purpose
of listening to the reports of the officers
of the board, giving an account OF what
had been done during the past year, and to
fill the vacancies in the board of directors
caused by the expiration of terms of ser
vice. While this program was adhered to,
and the purpose for which the board had
come together was fully carried cut, it was,
nevertheless, so arranged that the men,
bers had an opportunity of meeting each
other in pleasant and informal way.
There was a large attendance, and the
gathering was one representative of the
many interests of the city. The review OF
what had been done during the year for
the benefit of the District, and the outline
of important measures which were worthy
of the cordial support of the board in the
future. as set forth in the report of the
president, were heard with marked interest
and attention by those present The re-
ports of the secretary and treasurer showed
that the affairs of the board were in pros
porous condition.
While the balloting was in progress for
o
buffet lunch, which was provided in an ad-
joining room. was enjoyed, and at the same
time the members made use fir ~ OF the
interval to chat with each other. In all
respects the evening was most delightfully."-
spent, and the members went away mucn
pleased with their experiences.
At one end of the assembly hall, where
the meeting was held. platform had been
provided upon which chairs We're placed Tor
the president and secretary. The seating
ca pacity of the hall was pretty we'll tested,
as more than 300 members were present,
but still it was possible to move about
freely, and when the main business of the
evening was concluded the opportunity to
pass from one group to another was greatly
appreciated by all.
The meeting was called to order at
o clock by the president of the board, MIR.
Theodore w. Moves, and. the reading of the
minutes of the last meeting having been
dispensed with, the president proceeded at
once to read his annual report, which was
follows:
Report of the President of the Board
of Trade.
The past year has been an era of expan-
sion for the Washington Board of Trade, as
well for the nation and the national
capital.
Through the activity of Secretary Harries
and of the Membership Committee, of which
Mr.. w. P Van Wickle is chairman, the
an extraordinary percentage of increase,
and it's present membership of six hundred
and thirty-eight is very much larger than
at any previous time in the history of
the organization. This membership is not,
however, unwieldy, but through subdi-
vision of labor among carefully selected
committees is well organized and effective,
and has during the year displayed marked
activity in frequent meetings of Commit
tees, Directors and of the Board itself. and
in the successful advocacy of measures for
the public welfare before the Commission
ers of the District and the executive and
legislative departments of the national gov
eminent.
The policy announced last year of giving
every member of the Board the opportunity
to perform active committee work and. so
far as practicable, work of the kind for
which his inclination and experience best
adapt him, has been steadily pursued,
and the committee membership has been
increased until II now numbers 501 with a
few Implications, or about four-tifths OF
the entire Board.
National and international Relations.
This Board, as a member of the National
Board of Trade, is often called upon to
consider questions of national or inter-
national character There Is no standing
committee of the Board within whose de-
fined Jurisdiction these questions fall. i
have found 1t convenient to refer such mat
tiers systematically to the executive COM
mittee for the preliminary investigation
and consideration which are necessary to
an intelligent decision in respect to them
by the Board of Directors or the Board OF
Trade. The report of the executive COM
mittee Samuel Ross, chairman; sixteen
members) consequently shows the wide
range of national and international action
included within the scope of the opera
lions of the Board. The executive commit
tee, under the Craftsmanship for most OF
the year of Col. A. T. Britton, whose death
we all 50 deeply depiore, has, for instance
dealt with such subjects as the capture OF
private property at sea in time of war, the
interoceanic canal. the shipping bounty
| bill, the project of the Philadelphia Muse
ums. the universal adoption of the metric
system and the reciprocity treaty between
| the United States and France.
At meetings of the National Board OF
| Trade our representatives have founc
| themselves and this Board placed at dis
advantage by the lateness of their appoint
| ment, which has prevented them from par
| ticipating in the preliminary shaping of the
| conduct of the annual meeting by sub
| hitting propositions for the Boards con
sideration and by securing allotments o.
| time for the discussion of these subjects
| In order that the Washington Board ma!
| fill it's proper place in the discussions of tn,
| national body, and in the committee as
| signments, strong delegation has th
| year been appointed considerably in advance
of the meeting of the National Board, WIFI
| will thus be enabled to participate activel.
1
| make our Board an increasingly Influential
| factor in the national organization.
The Board as "a Unifying Force.
| Analysis of the membership of the Boar
| shows how largely the officers and infiu
entail members of the various sectional citi
zens' associations of the District are rep
resented in its roll. The policy which ha
been followed of getting and keeping i
touch with these associations should con
tinue to be pursued. The active and en-
terprisng leaders in the different portion
of the District press for purely local i'm
provements through their sectional organi
cations. but find that they can work mos
effectively for action in matters of gen
eral interest through the Board of Trade
which from it's representative character ca
| speak to the Commissioners and to Cor
| gress for all of Washington. More an
| more each year members of the Boar
| of Trade they bring before that body an
its appropriate committees for considera
| ton and action propositions which touc
the general welfare, well as interes
their special section, and each wear tn
Board as an organization deals more syn
| pathetically and helpfully with such proI
| ositions. The spheres of activity of tn
| associa tons and the Board instead of co
lding. are distinct and supplemental TIL
function of the Board is to bind all locs
| ipta moro closely and n ha,