Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-17
BUSINESS MEN MEET
Opening Of National Board Of
Trade Convention
AT THE NEW WILLARD
PENNY POSTAGE AND MERCHANT
MARINE DISCUSSED.
Business of Importance to the Country
to Be Taken Up for Con-
sideration.
AT THE NEW WILLARD

Slderat1on.
Streamers of black and yellow ribbon
| bearing the alliterative inscription, Penny
| Postage and Merchant Marine were
| worn on the coat lapels of a busting,
| prosperous-looking lot of men who fitted
! in and out the lobby and corridors OF the
| New Willard Hotel this forenoon. The
| wearers of the neat little badges were
| delegates to the twenty-ffth annual meet
| ing of the national board of trade, which
began it's sessions here today. and the sem
| timents inscribed in golden letters indicated
| that penny postage and the merchant ma
| rfne were to form the shibboleth of the
| convention.
A sort of flying wedge had been
formed by the delegates representing the
Merchants and Manufacturers Association
of Pittsburg, Pa, to do some rush work in
behalf of lower rate of postage and
higher grade of merchant marine. and the
smoky city delegates busted themselves
in pinning the black and yellow badges on
the coats of delegates, senator's, represen-
tatives and newspaper men. The members
of the flying wedge" are Mr.. James w.
Wardrop. Mr. Russell l.. Mitchell editor
| of Commerce. and Mr.. e. j. Lloyd. presi-
dent of the Merchants and Manufacturers
Assoca ton.
Col j. ]. Sullivan of Cleveland, Ohio
president of the national board of trade
arrived in Washington yesterday and es-
tablished headquarters at the New Willard
where the sessions of the association are
being held. and will continue until Thurs
day.
The other officers of the national body are
first vice president, C. S. Hamlin of Bos-
ton; second vice president, George H. D.
Johnson of Milwaukee; managers, +. D.
La Lanfe of Philadelphia j. T. McHug h
of CinNnnati, James F. Parker of New
York, James H. Wilcox of Pittsburg Pa,
Josiah Marvel of Wilmington, Del. and F.
A. Scott of Cleveland, Ohio. The secre-
tary and treasurer is Mr.. w. r. Tucker of
Philadelphia.
Executive Meeting Held
Preliminary to the regular session at noon
today an executive meeting of the council
| was held at 10 o'clock this forenoon. The
| principal purpose of this meeting was to
| consider in detail many of the important
questions which will come before the
| national board, also for the receipt and ex-
animation of the treasurers annual re-
port.
| Mr.. Tucker, the national secretary stated
| to a Star reporter that it was his expecta
| ton that about 113 delegates, representing
| all the more important cities, would be in
attendance at the convention. He also said
| the incorrect announcement had been made
| that the annual banquet would be held to-
morrow night.
That statement is wrong he said. THE
| banquet will be held tonight"
1t is expected that Speaker Cannon, Vice
| President-elect Fairbanks, Senators Dick
and Foraker, Representatives Beidler and
| Burton of Ohio and other distinguished men
will be included in the list of speakers. An
interesting feature of the meeting will be
an effort to establish the permanent
headquarters of the national board of
| trade in Washington. This is said to be
fot-n NV Dra- Sr,lli1 Of
| leading members, who are also anxious to
increase the scope and work of the organi-
cation.
1t is stated that the national board of
trade is founded on the theory that the
business organizations of the United States
are the best agencies for molding and di-
recting public opinion; its membership COM
| prises the representatives of its constitu-
ent bodies. Its possibilities for good, 1t Is
| believed, Justify membership many times
| greater than it now enjoys and it is ex-
pected by its officers and managers that
| in the near future the hopes and expecta-
| tons of its friends will be fully realized
through a vastly increased membership.
Will Act as Spokesman.
1t will be the duty of Mr. A T. Ander-
son of Cleveland, Ohio, commissioner OF
the board, to present to Congress the SUBJ
jects upon which the convention shall take
affirmative action, also to appear before
the committees of the House and Senate
and advocate their enactment into laws.
Mr. C. S. Hamlin, the first vice president
of the national board of trade is not g
stranger to Washington Several years age
he was assistant secretary of the treasury
His present home is IN Boston.
Many matters Of more than usual inter
est and Importance are scheduled for con
sderation at the present meeting. The Of
fetal program contains more than eighty
| propositions which have been faVorably
acted upon by constituent bodies through
out the United States" Thirty of these
| propositions are of national character anC
of great interest to the American people
AS these subjects reached in the course
| of the meeting they will be referred tt
committees to be appointed for their con
| sideration.
| 1t is said that decisive action will be
taken favorable to a readjustment OF
| postal rates, which, a delegate ex-
pressed it. will not tax the letter mail OF
| business men 100 times as much for the
| same service as it charges other pro-
ducers for the transportation and deliv-
| cry of their product to the consignees."
| The feeling of the national body is said
to be expressed on this matter by reso-
| buttons adopted by the Philadelphia
! Trades League. which state that 1T Is
manifestly unfair that users of one class
| of mail matter should be forced to pay ar
exorbitant profit to make up the losses
caused by handling a certain other class
| or mall matter at great loss. 1t was
held. therefore. That we renew our ap.
|
| postage to 1 cent per ounce, which
amount, according to official figures
would still yield liberal profit to the
| government"
Postal Rates.
The Cleveland chamber of commerce
adopted the following, which will come
before the national board during it's pres
ent session:
"The present cost of carrying first-class
postal matter is only one-tenth to one.
fifth of / cent per letter; it is manifestly
unfair to the users of first-cIass mai
matter that they be forced to pay the
present exorbitant profit upon their let.
ter postage in order to make up the losse.
caused by handling second-class mai
matter.
I'VE earnestly request the prompt re-
duction of letter postage to 1 cent pei
| letter of one ounce or less. which rate
according to official figures, would still
yield a liberal profit to the government