Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-18
ACTION IN 1908 RECALLED
Unanimous Sentiment of the Board
Of Trade Directors.
FAVORED DIVISION OF LABOR
Promised to Submit Question to Full
Board When Commerce Chamber
Adopted Either Of Two Courses.

The revival of the project of merger
of the Board of Trade and the Chamber
OF Commerce recalls the negotiations al
ready had between the two bodies on this
subject and the condition in which these
negotiations have rested for the last two
years. In the winter of 1907 the Cham
Der of Commerce directors took the I'M
tiative in the matter by the appointment
of a committee consisting of Jackson Fl.
Ralston, A. D. Albert, ir.. and d. j. Cal
lahan. The board of directors of the
Board Of Trade followed this action with
the appointment Of special committee
consisting of John B. Larner. Thomas w.
Smith and William G. Henderson, with
limited powers as to action. These two
committees conferred and adopted a reso-
luton to this effect: THAT in the judg-
ment OF the committees appointed by the
boards Of directors of the Washington
Board Of Trade and the Chamber Of Com
merce 1t is deemed advisable to merge
both organizations, and said committees
will recommend to their respective bodies
that such merger be. effected under the
name of the Washington Board of
Trade
In reporting this action to the directors
of the Board Of Trade, its committee dis
cussed at length the question Of merger
and indicated its preference Of division
of functions on commercial and non-cOm-
mercial lines between the board and the
chamber and favored such division if
the merger project should fail.
Unanimous Action of Directors.
/ The directors Of the Board of Trade,
October q, 1908, acting upon the COM
mittee's report. unanimously adopted the
following resolution: 'In the opinion Of
the directors of the Board of Trade the
public welfare will be best served by the
division of functions on commercial and
non-commercial lines between the Cham
Der OF Commerce and the Board of Trade,
as suggested by the Board of Trade
special committee.
THAT the right of the Chamber of
Commerce to take the initiative in action
upon the merger suggestion of it's direc-
tors is fully recognized, and that when
ever the Chamber of Commerce shall
favor either the division of labor sug-
gested by the Board of Trade commit
tees report or consolidation in the name
of the Board of Trade as reported by the
conference committees Of the two boards
of directors, the favored proposition shall
be promptly submitted to the Board Of
Trade for it's consideration and action
The resolution took this shape because
the directors of the Board of Trade could
not under the bylaws bind the board in
respect to the merger proposition. and be-
cause they recognized that the right and
obligation to take the initiative in action
on the subject were with the Chamber Of
Commerce.
No Action by Chamber of Commerce.
No action has been taken since the
above date by the Chamber Of Commerce
favorable either to a merger under the
name Of the Board of Trade or to the
division of functions on commercial and
non-commercial lines between the two
bodies suggested as an alternative by the
Board Of Trade directors.
The Board OF Trade committees report
throws considerable light upon the condi-
tons surrounding and the difficulties af
fecting the merger proposition, and will be
of interest now that the merger PROPOSE
ton is again under consideration. 1t reads
as follows: