Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-15
The Greater Commercial Washington

The merchants of Washington, in a long
struggle, have gradually conquered the
home market, wrestling it from Baltimore
and other cities. They are now energeti-
cally extending their business over the ada
cent southern states This field naturally be-
longs to Them and with full lines of the
goods desired, with cheap and quick railroad
transportation, and with the requirements
of advertising publicity fully met. a lions
share of this trade will surely be enjoyed.
The Star is heartily in favor of every prac-
tical project for the upbuilding of this
Greater Commercial Washington. 1t in
dorses Greater Washington special trains
carrying Washington goods and jobbers and
local advertising publicity to customers In
adjacent states. 1t favors projects of re-
funding railroad fare to buyers, which tend
to bring out-of-town customers to Wash
fngton. and it indorses free excursion
trains to Washington for the same purpose.
1t favors the advertising publicity which
is to be derived from commercial and mu-
nicipal exhibits at the jamestown exposi-
ton. 1t urges the prompt correction of I'M
Just local freight rates and of slow handling
of our freight by the railroads. All these
projects and activities. and especially the
correction through lawyers and the vigilant
supervision of freight rates and freight
handling, require a liberal expenditure of
money.
As business concern which has con-
tributed at least its share OF dollars and
cents toward the promotion of some OF
these projects The Star may say without
giving offence that the merchants them
selves and those closely affiliated with them
must largely finance and control these
practical movements, IL they wish quick
action and certain results. Through pure
ly mercantile organization like a Jobbers
and Shippers Association composed almost
entirely of jobbers and shippers or through
simple committee organizations of the
wholesale and retail merchants, respective
ly. they must themselves put up the money
for the advertising publicity and freight
rate correction which are to bring cash
profits to their own pockets. and only in
cidentally to benefit the general public. For
direct pecuniary backing in any considera-
BILE amount they will recognize that they
cannot rely on general representative or
ganization like the Board of Trade, not
purely commercial in character. including
in its membership all sorts and conditions
of men, and restricted in its revenues to
annual dues OF so from each member.
1t Is not in The Stars opinion for the
benefit of either the community In general
or of the wholesale and retail merchants,
the jobbers and shippers. that there should
be consolidation of a large Representative
organization of citizens. like the Board Of
Trade and a compact and quickly acting
mercantile organization. whether the latter
Is the Jobbers and Shippers Association or
some smaller body including only wholesale
and retail merchants. The product of the
combination would be either another repre-
sentative citizens association, in which the
merchants special energy and enthusiasm
would be diffused and lost. or a purely
commercial organization, in which the nom
commercial fve-sevenths of the present
Board of Trade would feel themselves out
of place. The community and the Greater
Commercial Washington need both kinds
OF organization and cannot afford to lose
either.
The representative citizens association
should have small dues. include all public
spirited citizens in its membership and
should deal especially with public improve
ments and great projects, legislative or
otherwise, of general concern The mer-
camille organization should be compare
lively small in membership with large dues
or individual subscriptions, bringing to
practical projects of trade promotion the
capacity for quick and effective action and
uhe intense energy and enthusiasm Of d.
rect pecuniary interest.
The Greater Commercial Washington will
be developed not through the organic ANAL
gamation, but through the harmonious and
hearty cooperation of these two organi-
zations.
Nearly two hundred of the seven hun
dred and twenty-one members of the Board
Of Trade are clasSed as concerned in trade
and manufactures and stand Tor CONNER
cial Washington. Their number. their en-
ergy and philosophical activity entitle
them to every consideration by the Board
OF Trade. Practical and reasonable propo-
silons submitted by the commercial COM
mittees should elicit and have ELECTED IA
Vorable responses from the Board The
committee on commerce and manufactures
IN connection with the printing of boom
ing literature and the preliminary ar
rangements for commercial exhibit at the
jamestown exposition, has utilized appro-
priadons of money by the Board greater
II Is believed, than those made for the other
twenty-one standing committees of the
Board combined. But the margin OF the
Boards revenues over current expenses is
small 1t has never been able to handle
as an organization any project which called
FOR large expenditure of money
1t has expressed public sentiment and an
piled the pressure OF public sentiment to
Congress An increase of It's annual uues
to raise funds solely for promoting COM
mercial projects would. 1t is feared ALLEVIATE
many OF the 521 non-commerclal members
or the Board, and tend to convert the
Board into purely commercial body of
reduced membership. The large projects of
the Greater Commercial Washington. in
Voiving liberal expenditures of money. will
OBVIOUSLY not be handled to the best advan
tage by the Board of Trade. but by a close
organization Of the merchants themselves,
the Board Of Trade and other citizens as
sociations cooperating.