The Washington herald., 1906-12-15
Directors Limited to Two
Consecutive Terms.
ACTION WARMLY DEBATED
Proposition Is vigorously Opposed
by Many Members, but Is Finally
Carried, Through Efforts of Those
Desiring Frequent Infusion of New
BIOOd-AdjouFn TIL January.

after accepting a compromise which
smoothed down some Of the rough edges
of the debate, the Washington Board OF
Trade last night adopted the Callahan
amendment to the bylaws. making mem
bers OF the directorate ineligible to re-
election after serving two consecutive
! terms.
! The discussion OF the amendment lasted
/ more than two hours and brought out
most Of the good takers of the board
/ The speeches were listened to with at
tention, and whether the member upon
the floor was appealing to the old con-
! servativism, for which the board has
been noted. or was urging the adoption
Of the radical change proposed for the
/ sake OF bringing new men into the ac-
/ tlvities OF the organization. all were ac-
! corded a generous hearing and warmly
| applauded when through
! The discussion OF the amendment had
/ been proposed by D. J. Callahan at the
annual meeting OF the board IN Novem-
/ Der, and had been posted for fifteen davs
/ MT Callahan brought II up for consider
alton after the annual reports of the
committees had been disposed of. and its
consideration occupied the rest Of the
evening. As originally proposed. the
amendment made the reelection OF a di-
rictor impossible after service of one term
OF three years. The plan would have
taken out Of the board of directors ten
men each year, and put in their places
ten who had not for one year, at least,
/ served on the board.
Not Inspired by Malice.
Mr.. Callahan started the discussion. de-
ciaring that It had been Inspired with
out any wish TO reflect upon any member
OF the directory. He said it was not In
spired by malice. but simply to give a
larger number Of members of the body d
chance TO serve upon the governing com
mittee. He had no fear of weakening
the directorate, because. he said. there
were as good men of the board as upon
IT, Mr.. Callahan spoke Of the changed
conditions that had come to Washington,
and the need Of more progressive spirit
in its chief trade body
He wished 10 prepare the directorate
to step into the movement for a Great
er Washington" by putting into the
governing body men fully in sympathy
with IT, Mr. Callahan said plainly the
Board Of Trade needed an awakening In
the direction Of making Washington a
commercial city.
W. O. Henderson opposed the amend
ment, because, he said II fettered the
Judgment OF the organization by placing
a limit on the men who could be elected
10 the board Of directors. Mr.. Henderson
spoke warmly, avowing his interest In the
larger development Of Washington COM
merciaily. and thought the Board Of
Trade should take a commanding stand
upon the question Of manufacturing and
commerce. Mr.. Henderson declared he
was not afraid of smoke, but thought
the present bylaws better than if amend
ed as proposed.
3. H Warner supported the resolution
in strong speech a. n Harper fol-
lowed in similar vein, making the sug-
gesuon that an impression had gone
abroad that the Board Of Trade was gov
erned by a clique, and that the best way
TO remove such impression was to adopt
the amendment and break up the old
board OF directors by infusing a new ele-
ment into 1t at each annual election,
Singleton in Opposition.
". r. Singleton made a long and elo-
quent speech in favor OF the present by
law, described the working Of the board
OF directors, and showed that The amend
ment would interfere with the usefulness
of the body by placing In positions Of
power men Of inexperience and crude
notions about the city government and
the general conduct Of affairs.
From this point the discussion was car
ried on by F. A. Fenning, w. Mosby
Williams. Dr. A. c. Pardon. and others.
gaining more and more in intensity. until
one speaker came to the point Of certain
personalities which fairly electrified the
meeting
F. L. Siddons then made a strong ad-
dress in favor OF the amendment, saying
that it had been properly presented. that
1t was a serious attempt TO modify the
organic law Of the organization. and while |
il should not be entered upon lightly, was
the only way TO overcome the inertia /
which seemed to have crept into the direc- |
tory, not through the fault OF any man or /
men, but through the habits which attach 4
TO human nature
r. Ross Perry pointed out that the I
was pernicious in theory, in 1
that it limited choice by cutting off ten /
men each year from participation In /
contest for positions on the board II was /
vicious again in that it would disarrange /
the whole system under which the board 1
was working, and under which it had
achieved splendid results. But Mr.. Perry /
the amendment as a practical /
citing the unwritten law which /
made the president ineligible for third /
term. He said it was in human nature that |
anybody long in power should become |
faulty in some particulars. and there was
need Of change He welcomed il and
would vote for H.
Compromise Is offered.
After several members had spoken along
similar lines, John Joy Edison came for
ward with a compromise amendment.
which he thought might appeal to the con-
servative element as we'll as to the more
radical members, which seemed to him to
be getting farther apart. He proposed
that in place Of the word "one" term the
word two" should be inserted, making
reelection impossible by law after two
terms of service
This proposition was welcomed as
feasible way out OF the difficulty. and
after a few short speeches was adopted.
Before the discussion upon the amend
ment to the bylaws the annual reports
Of the committees, which had been
printed and were in the hands of the
members were passed upon as follows:
Committee on bridges, recommending
the building Of the memorial bridge to
Arlington. adopted; committee on chart
ties and correction, adopted; on commerce
and manufactures, laid over to the next
meeting; on insurance, adopted; on mem
bership. adopted; mercantile interests
parks and reservations.
to next meeting; on press
adopted.
A resolution offered by NJ. I. Weller.