Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-28
NATIONAL BOARD OF TRADE.
NoRFOLKs REPRESENTATIVES,
STRONGLY IMPRESSED BY ITS
IMPORTANCE

Some time ago the Virglnian-Piiot no.
ted the fact that Mr.. Robert w. Shul-
tice would represent Norfolk ut the an
nual meeting of the National Board of
Trade, at Washington, d. c., as the
representative of the Norfolk Board of
Trade and Business Mems. Association.
MI. Shultice returned yesterday from
the meeting, and states that there were
In attendance representatives from
about fifty leading cities of the United
States. The meeting was very repre-
sentative In It's character, and was pre-
sided over by Ex-Governor Standard, of
Missouri.
Norfolk and several other cities join
ed the National Board of Trade ut this
meeting, which occupied three days the
sessions being held at the Shoreham.
Norfolk was highly honored. as its
able representative, Mr. Shuttle. was
placed on the very important commit
tees on Nicaraguan Canal and Cana
dian Reciprocity. The Nicaraguan Ca
nal matter was freely discussed and
the board Endorsed the bill providing
for the opening of the Nlcaraguan Ca
nal under the control of the United
States Government. 1t also appointed
committee. with Ex-Governor Pattcr-
son, of Penns lsania. chairman. sto
press the matter In Congress-
Changes in the postal law were also
considered, and the board passed IL res
olution favoring immediate changes in
the postal laws. whereby the postage on
drop letters will be one cent. and the
establishment of penny postage
throughout the country. will come us
soon as possible The cost of handling
the various classes Of mail was dis
cused, and Mr.. Ecker. of Philadelphia
showed that, whereas the first-class mail
matter was handled by the Postoflice
Department is only eight per cent of
the total matter handled. it brought in
ninety-two percent. of the departments
revenue. 1t was also shown that the
large annual deficit of the department
arose from the second-class matter
handled.
The board does not favor any in
crease of cost of postage on legitimate
newspapers, but advocated the exercise
of greater care in admitting publlca-
tons as second-class matter, and the
exclusion from this class of circulars
and other matter of an exclusively adj
vertising nature. The establishment of
cheap parcels post, similar TO that in
England and Germany, was advocated,
and committee was appointed to pro-
mote the desired postal legislation.
The board favored Government subsi-
dies to United States ships In the for
eiSH 'iiue' IL liiey employed united
States seamen and were available for
conversion into cruisers and transports
by the United States Government in the
event of war. a committee was APP
pointed to attend to this matter.
The desirability of granting larger
powers to the Interstate Commerce
Commission, to the end that it may
promptly act as n court of justice and
enforce It's decisions. was discussed,
and a committee was appointed to take
care of the matter. which committee
appeared before Congress on the sub
ject Friday. The cause of this action
was the necessity of preventing freight
rate discrimination against -four and
favoring wheat, whereby British mill
crs are able to purchase and grind
American flour at n cost OF eighteen
cents a barrel less than American -four
can be sold for in England.