The Washington times., 1911-01-07
CHAMBER BEST
PUBLIC FORUM
1t Is Substitute for Polls al
Which Citizens Ex-
press Views.
Continued from First Page.)

citation are participating in the great
controversy over methods of providing
transportation for the people Of the
metropolis, In fact, these organizations
srs are taxing the foremost part In the
dlfhcult task of solving the. problem.
In Boston the Chamber Of Commerce
Is the organization of business interests
that takes up, investigates, and solves
almost every problem arising from the
complex question of harbor and water
transportation facilities.
In Cincinnati the commercial organi-
cations are leading the contest Of the
people for control of their water front,
by the preservation from railroad domi-
nation of the municipal wharf.
Practically everywhere, 1t is the same
story.
In Washington there is a particularly
strong reason for keeping the Chamber
Of Commerce free from the possibility
OF domination by special interests. In
every other city in the country, the
State, county, and municipal elections
afford a clearing house where local,
public issues may be met, threshed out
and settled. Washington has no such
institution.
Congress Not Fully Informed.
Congress deals with Washington's s
local problems without knowing, as a
result of an election, what the people
OF Washington want. City councils do
not. City councils find out what the
people want, and If they ignore the
people, they get out and a new council
is chosen, pledged TO carry out the
peoples wishes.
In Washington the Chamber of Com
merce offers the best substitute for the
opportunity to speak at the poils-an
opportunity denied. The Chamber OF
Commerce comes nearer being the Dis
trict forum and the Districts city
council than any other institution the
District has. In great measure, II
stands for the wishes of the people
of Washington day. II can stand for
the peoples wishes in much greater
measure If 1t is maintained as 1t has
been started-an open, Independent as
sembly, where no one influence or inter.
est can, by any possible means, control
its policies or direct its activities.
The members of the Chamber of Com.
merce-nearly 800 of them-and the peo.
pie of Washington generally. have beer
| amazed at the aggressiveness, the ad.
vancement, the successes which have
marked the course of the Chamber In
four years
1t is a mild statement to predict thai
the Chamber of Commerce has but
| barely scratched the surface OF posi-,
| bilities. Its future is vastly more bril-.
! liant than its past, no matter how bril-
| liant that past may be; It's field Is al
| most unlimited. But its future depend:
wholly upon its democracy.
Callahan's Interests.
The case Of the candidacy Of Mr.. Cal
lahan is one that must be considered
| from the standpoint Of the Chamber!
democracy and independence, which
must be the foundation of its future
! Behind Mr.. Callahan, in his bushes!
| life, are interests that every member o
| the Chamber wants represented in th'
| democracy of the institution. 1t is tn,
doubt that they would be satisfied t
| remain in the ranks that has raised th'
question whether Mr.. Callahan should
| be elected.
Pie raising OF this question is no re
| fection on Mr.. Callahan. The objection
| to his election is in no sense personal
| The sanie objection would lie Agains
| any man OF similar interests whom I
was proposed to place in a position q
such influence as he would be able {,
| WELD as first vice president of tn
| Chamber, chairman Of the executiv
committee. and heir-apparent to tn
| presidency.