Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-08
The Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce has made an
encouraging start. AS its name and the
circumstances of its creation indicate, it Is
to promote specifically and effectively COM
mercial and manufacturing Washington in
manner impossible of accomplishment by
other organizations of citizens. The Board
OF Trade. as a general representative clt1-
Gems association with 500 non-commerctal
and only 200 commercial members and with
the small annual dues that are perhaps APP
propriate in large popular organization OF
general aims and comprehensive member
ship, Is not sufficiently under the control Of
the commercial element and has not as an
organization sufficient funds to carry out
quickly and satisfactorily costly projects for
the upbuilding of commercial and manufac-
turing Washington. The Chamber of Com
merce is apparently to be controlled Gas 1t
should be) by the merchants and manufac-
turers Of the city, and the dues have been
80 increased over those charged by the
amalgamating organizations as to indicate
an appreciation of the need of large flnan-
cial resources to accomplish the purposes of
the organization and a public-spirited readi-
ness to meet this need.
The election as president of the Chamber
of the most prominent and energetic MEM
commerce and manufactures suggests that
the creation and maintenance of an expert
commercial secretary. so strongly urged by
that committee as essential to commercial
development, will be one of the primary
objects of the new organization. 1t was
estimated that 5000 annually would be
needed for the support of this Office. 1t
may be assumed that such secretary will
be paid official (and perhaps the only
paid officiaD of the Chamber of Commerce.
The campaign of advertising publicity for
commercial Washington, whether it takes
the shape of preparing and disseminating
boom literature or of such projects as
the Greater Washington special train
through the south or of plans to utilize the
jamestown exposition for commercial ex-
ploitatiop, will require large expenditures
of money the greater part OF which will
doubtless be provided by the Chamber of
Commerce. supplemented perhaps by indi-
vidual subscriptions. The publicity funds
raised and expended by even the small
commercial cities are reported In surpris-
ingly large figures.
1t is also proposed to secure a Chamber
of Commerce building, either erected d.
rectly by funds raised by the organization.
or built by agreement with the promo
tiers of some contemplated Office building
who would doubtless be eager to arrange
and equip a floor in any manner desired
and to rent to the Chamber as a perma-
nent tenant. receiving part considera-
ton the advertising Of the Office building
which would arise from it's designation as
the permanent home of the Chamber of
Commerce. Not all the expense, however
either of the building or of floor rental
would need to be met by the Chamber as
an organization. The proposition, it is
understood, Is to have as Incidental to or
as part of the Chamber of Commerce a
commercial club with an attractive and
creditable cafe and other club equipment
Such club Is desirable from the COM
mercial point of view to bring local mer-
chants more closely together and to facili-
tate the entertainment Of visiting buyers
Its expenses like those Of all clubs will
undoubtedly be large. its membership dues
will be considerable, and must of course be
separate from and in addition to the dues
of the Chamber of Commerce. which will
all obviously be required for direct and
practical commercial promotion along the
lines already indicated.
1t has been demonstrated that the Board
of Trade (Which has important special
functions of its own to fulflD is not suf-
flciently commercial in it's makeup and as
an organization is not sufficiently in funds
to carry out these plans of commercial and
manufacturing promotion. The Chamber
of Commerce by concentration of effort and
by devoting its energies and It's money
exclusively to these commercial projects
and by liberal and public-spirited sub
scriptions in membership dues In club dues
and for special projects of commercial
exploitation can doubtless push them to
success The interest and enthusiasm dis
played at the Chambers initial meeting
furnish an encouraging omen that the cash
and hard work necessary to develop the
Greater Commercial Washington will be
forthcoming from its members.