The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-02-01
Results. Not Resolutions.

Washington depends largely upon
the Board OF Trade for commercial
leadership, 1t has noted with much
interest, therefore, the boards action
in authorizing the president to ap-
point a committee of five to arrange
for a conference OF business men in
terested in the development of the
South -
That is an involved sentence; but it
would not be undesirably so if every
clause in it did not interpose between
the purpose and the result The
president is to appoint a committee;
the committee is to arrange for q con-
ferenceg the conference is to discuss
and that is all. If good is to result,
aad everyone hopes it may, this nest
OF boxes in between must be sorted
and each one opened in turn.
In the discussion which preceded
this action one MEMBER argued that
the board should do something be-
sides pass local resolutions and eat
buffet luncheons" So, indeed, it
should. OF course. it must go through
these preliminaries Of authorizing,
appointing, arranging, and comforting.
But in the past the trouble with the
Board of Trade has been that it has
done little else.
At this particular meeting the bust
ness transacted, in addition to the
vote irSiaoToe4 aI>,.x-o ,.-,., - e1,51,,,--,.
The committee on public health
commended the work done by another
organization fer the housing of the
poor and urged members to use their
influence TO secure the necessary
legislation for public baths and COM
fort stations" a lecture was delivered
on the new filtration plant: Congress
was commended for its ibera1ity as to
the new sewage system; and a report
was submitted showing the efforts
Of a committee to induce factories to
locate in Washington.
Al Of which, says The Times, is
mighty unproductive. Why has not
the Board Of Trade co-operated prac-
tically with the Sanitary Improvement
Company? Why has it not made
some effort to construct and maintain
a model bath or comfort station as
another organization constructed and
maintained model Fairgrounds? Why
does it bother with accomplished i'm
proxements, like the filtration plant,
whepz there is SO much work to be
5eae? Why did the committee on
commerce report nothing but efforts i?
Has not the board been in existence
long enough TO induce one single, lone
factory to locate here so that we can
talk OF results? The commentator
OF Congress for its iiberal4ty as to the
new sewage system was tactfuI and
wise; but did it produce anything?
The Times would make it perfectly
plain that its attitude toward the
Board Of Trade is one of entire friend
1iness. 1t is not unmindful of the
good it has done-and it has done
more than q little good. But neither
this paper nor its readers can lose
sight Of the fact that for years the
board has been practically an unpro-
ductire body, that resolutions, re-
quests to Congress, buffet Iuncheons,
unimportant committee reports, and
annual elections have constituted
practically its whole harvest.
It may be the board is waking up.
1t may be this yestibule commission
to the president to appoint a COM
mittee is the beginning Of a more
active existence. If that prove to be
the case the board viii obtain the
hearty support OF The Times. But
until the beard begins TO lead the
way itself instead Of merely passing
Judgment on others who do the lead
ing, its service to the community will
always be unproductive and its lead
ership be unfulfilIed