Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-28
Iowa Commercial Exchange Will
Try to Secure Appropriations.
GOOD MEETING HELD YESTERDAY
Senator S. H. Harper and j. H. Mitch
ell of OttumWa Were Present-Local
Organization Will Be Completed in
OttumWa Soon.
EEsNE!ERRE.I
8i.EEEL3M q

As was decided at the meeting of
the Iowa Central Commercial Ex-
change, which was held in Des .Moines
yesterday, and was attended by Senat-
or S. H. Harper and J. H. Mitchell, of
this city, one of the first things that
the Commercial Association of Iowa
will do when it has completed its or
ganization, preliminaries for which
wer arranged at conference in Des
Moines yesterday, will be to ask the
legislature for an appropriation of
$4,000 or $15, 900 with which to adver
tise Iowa in foreign countries to in
duce immigration here.
The second thing will be to ask the
legislature to amend the laws so that
commercial organizations may incor-
porate. At present religious, chart
table and philosophical bodies may file
articles of incorporation and become
legal persons, but such an organiza.
ton as the Commercial Association of
Iowa and the Commercial Exchange
of Des Moines cannot enjoy that priv
ilege.
The Officers.
The officers of the state organza-
ton are as follows:
President = ID. B. Lyons, Des
Moines. q
Vice president-E. ]. McVann, Sioux
City.
Secretary-Thos. H. Simmons, Ced-
al Rapids.
Railroad rates are to be treated
gingerly by the association. Some of
the river cities expect to have strong
representation in the association, and
some Of them are we'll satisfied with
rate conditions. While Des Moines
and other interior cities wish revision
of certain commercial rates, it is
thought the matter will have to be
handled with extreme delicacy in or
der to preserve harmony in the asso-
citation.
These matters were discussed only
incidentally at the conference held
in Des Moines. The meeting was
called for the purpose of devising fur
ther means to effect a permanent Or
ganization. The time was spent in
the discussion of the form the organi-
cation should take. Some of the
members wished to incorporate the as
ISOLATION, but it was discovered that
any corporation attempted would be
without legal authority. 1t was then
decided to adopt the Massachusetts
board of trade plan of organization.
This plan contemplates the election
of members in a state association by
local organizations. 1t is provided
that when fifteen local organizations
have elected two delegates each in
the proposed state association the
state organization shall be formed by
these delegates and they will elect
their own officers. AS many more To-
cal clubs will be induced to join in the
movement as possible. 1t is thought
the fifteen members will be secured
within a few days. Then the regular
elected delegates will meet and form
the permanent organization, electing
officers, etc.
Before joining in the state move
ment the local commercial clubs will
be asked to consider and endorse the
.nlan proposed at the meeting yester-
day; that is, the Massachusetts
scheme Secretary Thomas H. Sim
mons of Cedar Rapids will have print
ed at once copies of the scheme OF or
ganization The Massachusetts plan
was amended, of course, in such de-
tails as local conditions require.
The Des Moines Commercial eX
change entertained the visitors yester-
day at the Grant club house, including
a dinner at the club house last evening
About twenty were in attendance, as
follows:
Iowa City-E. F. T. Cherry.
Sioux City-L. l.. Kellogg, e. j
McVann.. . -.
CARROLL. L. Powers.
Burlington Business Mems club
w. w. Parsons; president.
Ottumwa Commercial Exchange
Senator S. H. Harper and ]. H
Mitchell.
Mason City Commercial club
President T. R. Miles.
sOelwein Improvement club
Z President j. H. Kerwin.
Traer Commercial Association
Secretary J, B. Dennis.
Marshalltown association Secretary
r. q. Sears.
Cedar Rapids Commercial club
Secretary Thomas H. Simmons and
treasurer Lew w. Anderson.
Des Moinss Commercial Exchange