Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-22
FOR RETIREMENT OF TRADE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COM.
MITTEEs DISCUSS PLANS.
Shopping Period for People in
Nearby States-opposition to
Union Station Tax.

AS the cool, crisp season advances Their
appears to be a marked increase in tn,
activities of the officers and committee:
of the Washington Chamber of Commerce
The summer lethargy has been shaken of
and the members declare 1t to be theil
purpose during the fall and winter t
do things" There were some impor
tant committee meetings yesterday aft
ernoon and evening. appointments were
made and announcements handed out.
plan for the betterment of trade con-
ditions in the District, which has been
discussed from time to time by local
merchants is about to be brought to
fruition, 1t seems, through the agency of
the Chamber of Commerce. 1t proposes
shopping period for folks in nearby
| states during the first two weeks in De-
| cemDer. while Congress is in session and
that the visitors be brought here on ex-
| cursions by rail and eamboat.
| Iris matter was given consideration
last night by subcommittee Of the retail
| trade committee of the Chamber of
| Commerce, of which Julius Garfinkle is
| chairman. A report was made by d. j.
| kaufman, who said he had called upon
the officials of the railroads and steam
| snip INES In reference to running eXcur-
sion trans and steamers, and was to tax :
|
ing this week. He said the managers of
the transportation companies manif sted
interest In the project, and indicated a
Willingness to do all in their power to
| heip II along.
Advertising and Publicity.
| Alexander Wolf reported for the sub
committee on advertising and publicity,
| saying he had had interviews with sew
| aral persons and that the work of his
committee was coming on satisfactorily.
The subcommittee on headquarters for
the shoppers also announced it's plans
| would be worked out within a day or So.
| 1t was the sense of the subcommittee
| that the first two weeks In December
was the best time for the excursions to
the city, and ii was decided to go for
ward and complete the plans now form
| ing and report them to the retail trade
committee at meeting to be held next
| Friday night at the headquarters of the
| Chamber of Commerce Chairman Kauf-
man requested the members of the SUBJ
| committee to use their best endeavors to
| have all the members o. the committee
Of fifty present, with view to enlisting
their support in the plans for bringing
| the shoppers from the adjoining states
| into the city at the time specified.
President Robert N. Harper of the
| Chamber of Commerce yesterday named
temporary committee of three members
| to investigate the plains of the railroads
| which will run into the new union sta
| ton, relative to the proposed increase of
| passenger rates to be used toward paying
| for the new structure. The chamber holds
| that II such a plan is adopted the rail-
| road companies will discriminate against
Washington and Washington business
| men. The committee will act with D. j.
Kaufman chairman Of the committee on
retail trade, who has already been inves-
tigating the matter.
Executive Committee Meets.
The proposed plans of the railroad COM
| panies were discussed at meeting Of the
| executive committee In GUIDE Hall on F
street 1t is said each member of the
committee declared himself as opposed to
any increase in fares. 1t was declared
| that If the companies assumed the au-
| thority to make their passengers pay for
| the union station, they could as logically
| ask them to pay for the rolling stock of
| the roads.
| Committeeman recjted instances in
which chambers of commerce of other
cities had defeated thu plans of railroad
companies in which an assessment had
been demanded from passengers. 1t was
asserted that some time ago the railroad
companies entering st. Louis discriminate
| ed against passengers who wished to cross
the state lines into st. Louis. Temporal
4
that city suffered greatly from loss of
| trade, as the shoppers would not pay the
extra assessment REQUIRED to cross into
st. Louis, and did their shopping at the
neighboring cities. Retail merchants. it
was said. lost 80 Der cent of their trade
in short time.
The Manufactur ers' Association of that
city took hand in the matter, and final
ly the fares of the companies were re-
duced to their normal condition with the
result that st. Louis soon regained its old
trade.
! View Of the Chamber.
| The local Chamber of Commerce holds
the view that If the railroad companies
are permitted to add ar extra assessment
number of shoppers and visiting business
men will be greatly decreased and Wash
ington merchants will be the losers.
| Announcement was made that a meet
| ing of the chairmen and vice chairmen Of
the several standing committees of the
chamber will be held to take under con-
sideration important matters relating to
the work of the chamber during the COM
| ing months.
| Charles ]. Bell, chairman of the COM
nittee on choosing a site for the home of
| the chamber, has called a meeting of the
committee for Thursday afternoon at $3.50
o'clock. 1t Is said several matters relat-
| ing to the choice of the site have devel-
oped during the past few days, which the
committee will at that time take up. 1t
| is said the committee hopes to arrive at
some conclusive action at the coming
meeting.