Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF TRADE
Amendment to Bylaws Affect
ing Directors Terms.
PERSONALITIES EXCHANGED
Approval of the Reports of Several
Committees.
CHARITIES AND CORRECTION
CHARITIES AND CORRECTION
Various Bridge Projects in the Dis
trict-Location of Manufacturing
Establishments Here.

than two successive +ormS. The result was
not achieved however. until after the close
of a discussion into which personalities
tered to some extent. The original amend
ment, which was offered by Mr.. D. ]. Cal
lahan. provided that a member of the board
of directors should be ineligible for re-elec-
ton after serving one term, but Mr. Cal
lahan accepted amendment, offered by
Mr. John Joy Edison letting forth that
director may serve two terms before being
ineligiblesfor further service.
Another amendment to the bylaws, relat-
ing to the dues to be paid by individuals.
without debate The annual reports of a
number of committees of the organization
were read and some of them discussed.
The report of the committee on mercan-
tile interests was recOmmitted, on motion
of Mr.. F. L. Siddons. in order to allow the
members of the board opportunity to con-
slider House bill 1886, dealing with bills of
lading. Discussion Of the report of the
committee parks and reservations was
held over until the next meeting, so that
the members may have a chance to look
into the matter of legislation on that sub
ject pending before me two branche1 of the
national Legislature. A resolution pre-
scented by mr.. NJ. I. Weller protesting
against the change of the name of Georgia
avenue to Navy Yard avenue and of Bright
wood avenue to Georgia avenue was adopted.
Rotation In ONCE.
The principal interest Of the meeting
seemed to center in the amendment offered
by Mr.. Callahan with respect to the length
of service of members of the board of direc-
tors. Mr.. Callahan explained that there
was nothing vicious in his proposition. 1t
was not intended to legislate any individual
out of office. There are 700 members of
the Board of Trade, he stated, and in order
to maintain healthy and proper spirit in
the organization every one of these mem
bers should be able to entertain hope to at
some time serve on the directorate of the
forceful and popular organization. In re-
ply to an argument that the amendment
would automatically remove good men from
the directorate whose services could not
be duplicated, Mr.. Callahan said that such
was a wrong view to take of the matter,
and that just as good men would be elected
under the new rule as in the past. Mr..
Callahan did not wish to be captious he
said. but he thought it high time for the
organization to separate itself from some
of its bylaws and get to work heart and
soul for the rejuvenation of the national
capital There would be a great deal more
activity in the Board of Trade if his amend
ment prevailed, he insisted, than there ever
had been in the past
Mr.. Henderson of the lexington Citizens
Association said he hopes to see a realiza-
ton of the Greater Washington IDEAL and
that no one is more interested than he in
the present movement to that end. He is
glad movement is under way to make the
city what it should be. He wants to see
factories here, and announced that he isn't
afraid of smoke. Mr.. Henderson explained
that he opposed the Callahan amendment
because it fettered the judgment Of men,
bers of the Board of Trade.
Merit of System.
1--WE are not hampered," he said 1--WE
can name whom we want under the present
system. This amendment says that you
shall not exercise your judgment in select
ing your directorate. That is not right"
Mr.. B. H. Warner was glad the amend
ment had been offered, he said, and thought
it would serve good purpose When the
terms of the ten directors Of whom he was
one, expired, and the other nine happened
to be reelected. he would feel very much
mortified, Mr. Warner added. Under the
Callahan amendment such could not be.
The entire ten would go out together. He
would work just as hard as private as
he would as a director. He spoke of the
board of trade as threatening to fall into
state similar to that of the National
Board of Trade, which he characterized
as in a condition of innOcuous desuetude
Several members objected to the charac
terization and declared that the National
Board of Trade Is getting along in surpris-
ingiy good shape. Mr.. Warner replied that
he was mighty glad to hear 1t as the only
thing he had known the National Board of
Trade to do lately was to meet once
most of the members did not understand.
Robert n. Harper, who said that he is
now serving his second term of three years
as a member of the board of directors an
uounced himself as firm believer in ro-
tation in office.
Views of Director.
Il vote in Virginia, where the governor
cannot succeed himself" he said, land
organized concern of which three of the
been successful. The concern started in a
small way and is now doing a business of
$500 900 a year. 1 don't say there is an in
side clique in the board, but there seems to
be a general opinion to that effect. Some
members think that under present condi-
lions they have no chance to get on the
directorate. If under this amendment they
imagine they have a chance, they will all
put their shoulders to the wheel and work
for the board and for Washington. There
are Just good men on the board a there
are on it,"
Mr.. w. II. Singleton characterized Mr.
Galatians amendment as "cowardly," and
insisted that under the present bylaws new
directors can be put in at any election. 1t
is cowardly, he said, to attempt to wipe
out of office by law ten men who have given
good service. He wanted to know why the
sponsors of the amendment hadn't the nerve
to turn the ten out by the regular pro-
cedure.
I'VE wIl next time several members re-
marked from various parts of the hail.
"All right: go ahead and do it, Mr.. Sin
gleton answered
Opposed to Personalities.
Several members deplored the introduc-
ton of personalities by Mr.. Singleton and
a number of arguments for and against the
amer Iment were made After further dis
cusson Mr.. Edison offered his amendment to
make members of the board of directors in
eigible for reelection for more than two
successive terms. An amendment to the
amendment offered by B. H. Warner, to
delay the effect of the Edison amendment
until 1908 was lost. After Mr.. Callahan
had announced himself satisfied with the
Edison proposition, 1t was adopted.
On the suggestion of Mr.. Warner chair
man of the committee on commerce and
manufactures, consideration of the report
of that committee was on motion postponed
until the next meeting of the board.
The board approved the report of the
committees on charities and corrections
| bridges, membership, press, insurance
The report of the committee on member
ship set forth that the active membership
of the board is 40 and that an unusual
number of deaths occurred during the
! year, eighteen names being removed from