Evening journal., 1900-05-10
THURSDAY, MAY 10. 1900
BoARnIS sHoRTSIGHTEnNEss


Our Board of Trade has surpassed it.
self in shortsightedness. The only
consolation is that the vote by which
It committed itself in favor of the pri-
vate interests 0f the Dun and Brad.
street commercial agencies and against
the public interests OF Philadelphia and
other cities In the East, including our
own. was a tie and that Il required the
vote OF the president OF the board to
decide its course. When the vote was
taken on the motion TO reconsider the
vote whereby the Federal appropriation
ofs2OO, ,O00to the Philadelphia CONNER
cial Museum was condemned, it stood
IA 10 IA. In this emergency President
Lawton. much to the surprise OF his
friends, voted against reconsideration
and committed the Board Of Trade to
antagonism of Philadelphia's trade in
terests. What the result will be the fu-
ture alone can tell.
That the action Of the board Is re-
sented in Philadelphia is demonstrated
conclusively in this editorial. follow
ing the vote so quickly. which appears
in. the Philadelphia Record this morn
ing:
It can hardly have been a large num-
Der OF the members OF the Whining
ton Board OF Trade who allowed them
selves to be deluded into opposing the
proposed Federal appropriation for the
Philadelphia Commercial Museum. In
adopting a resolution calling on the
Delaware senator and representative to
oppose the measure now before Con-
gress they exhibited a rashness not to
be expected OF sensible men OF affairs
II they should exercise no better eau
tion In their business they would be
In extreme danger OF bankruptcy. In
affirming that the museum had used
public money to enter into competition
with private business concerns they yevi-
IDENTITY spoke without making the least
inquiry. although but a short distance
from the Institution. and also with
out knowing that a specific and posi-
tive denial Of the accusation had beer
made by the museum officials. This at.
tempt 20 deprive the enterprise of its
uue measure Of support from the gov.
crnment and 10 discredit it before the
country Is rcprehensible IN view of tho
work which the museum has already
accomplished and the greater work Il
promises 10 do, and which cannot b.
done by any other Institution, firm o
individual.
The particular form OF competition
which the museum is said to have en-
tered into is the giving of information
as TO the standing Of foreign firms. Thl
explanation already made is that M
public money has ever been used 70
any sucn purpose. The institution ha
a double aim-to maintain a museum
Of the manufactured articles produce
by other countries, and to supply Z
subscribers Information as to prObabl
markets for American manufactures
lhe museum proper Is dependent o.
public support. Its particular object
to show to our own manufacturers IN
kind OF articles produced by their CON
petitOrs abroad. and the kind require
to meet the demands of the differer
markets. II is to complete this exhib
tion that the 5000 900 Is asked OF th
government The information burea
Of the museum is a distinct enterpris
Thousands of manufacturers have b.
come subscribers to this department
order to have the benefit OF the info
nation gathered from foreign corr
spondents and others as to the oppo
tunities for introducing articles
American make in new fields, or Of 81
creasing sales in markets alreai
known. This information is given on
10 subscribers who ask for It, Dec
sionally a subscriber wants TO kno
whether a prospective buyer or deal
Is Of a character to be trusted. II
reply is sent in the form Of a letter
the inquirer alone. To cite these f,
instances as evidence that the Con
mercial Museum has entered into. COZ
petition with established commerc
agencies Is regarded as absurd by {
museum officials. To say that a
public money Is used for this purpC
is to affirm a positive untruth, as [
information bureau is, according to /
explanation Of the executive officia
wholly supported by the subscripti