Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-10
POWERS OF THE DIRECTORS
Thirteen Members Required to Con.
stitute Quorum, Increase of Two.
OTHER BUSINESS TRANSACTED
Made to International
Aviation Meet-Committee to
Meet President Taft.

The constitution OF the Washington
| Chamber of Commerce was altered in a
dozen places at the meeting of that body
last night. Some of the changes recon-
mended by the committee in charge Of
the work Of drafting changes were not
| approved by all of the members. but the
matter was presented in such compact
and finished form that the discussion. the
voting ana the adoption of the new form
were accomplished in less than one hour.
The proposed office of general counsel
| was not created.
The chamber voted unanimously to sub
scribe $500 to the guarantee fund Of the
proposed Washington Baltimore interna-
tional aviation meet. Power was given to
the directors to increase that sum to
$1,000 in case 1t should be expedient
very enthusiastic reception was ac-
corded A. Leftwich Sinclair's motion to
appoint a committee of ten to meet Presi-
dent Taft at the Union station this even
ing. The committee appointed by Presi-
dent Guide last night is composed of ten
members, with President GUIDE as chair
man. as follows: William r. Guide.
George w. White. Thomas c. Noyes, Ira
witch Sinclair. Chaplin Brown, William t.
Galliheer, Robert n. Harper and George
Y. Worthington.
Changes in Constitution.
The changes I'm the constitution are out
lined as follows:
The words ito promote and nurture
commercial and manufacturing enterprise
in the District of Columbia" are added to
the purposes for which the chamber ex-
lists. Under section two it was proposed
hat aAA oil 0ffio
sci, should be elected annually hereafter.
This raised lively discussion. in which
ii was freely stated by some of the men,
bers that any lawyer In the chamber
would have the perfect right to receive
fees for his opinions. a condition watch
might seriously deplete the treasury. The
fact that there are two committees in
the chamber composed principally of law
members present last night and the pro-
posed amendment in this instance was
voted down.
The powers Of the board Of directors
under the revised constitution are now
limited so that "all matters of pub
lie policy shall be referred to the
chamber for final action. Absences on
the part of directors to the extent of five
consecutive regular meetings shall create
a vacancy. The executive committee is
enlarged TO nine members.
Ii had been proposed TO insert a para
graph prohibiting "a member who has not
paid dues to January 1 preceding the an
nual meeting and who shall not then have
been member for three months" from
voting. This was not pleasing to the ma
jority, who voted that any one joining the
chamber within the three months of the
annual meeting and who should pay six
months dues would be entitled to vote.
Care Of the Funds.
The old constitution gave the entire
direction of the management Of funds
to the board of directors. The new amend
ments direct that the treasurer shall act
upon direction from the chamber or the
board. In place Of the twenty-five men,
bers which constituted a quorum, fifty
will now have to be present. Thirteen
members of the board shall constitute a
quorum. where ii was eleven. In section
D. where the names Of committees are
shown. it was voted to add the names Of
all standing committees. of which a great
many have been formed since the original
constitution was planned.
The board of directors Is empowered to
appoint members to fiil vacancies in COM
mittees. This used to be done by the
president.
New Financial Plan Endorsed.
Previous to the discussion over the
amendments Auditor Tweedale presented
to the meeting a digest Of the Commits
Sionefs plan Tor financing the District or
Columbia. A resolution was Immediately
adopted approving the plan and providing
for committee OF three members to back
1t up before Congress.
On motion of Isaac Cans the chamber
gave its Endorsement of the food and
flower shows now In progress in the city.
Charles Darr read a report from COM
mittee appointed several months ago to
Investigate conditions surrounding the Ii
censing or taxing of itinerant merchants
II. c. c. Stiles made a statement for the
manufacturing committee promising a big
development I'm the way of bringing
large factory to Washington.