Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-08
WILL VOTE ON SPLIT
Retailers to Decide Break
From Chamber of Commerce.
POSITION IN OTHER CITIES
Isaac Cans Gets Data on Relation
ship Of Bodies Elsewhere.
RULES ARE AT VARIANCE
Membership Provisions Of organiza-
tons Over the Country Expected
to Be of Use Here.
RULES ARE AT VARIANCE

and chambers Of commerce In many OF
the large cities Of the country has been
gathered by the Washington Chamber Of
Commerce. and this information. 1t is ex-
pected, will prove Of value to both the
chamber and it's offspring. the Retail
Merchants' Association, in deciding what
their relations are to be in the future.
The rock over which the chamber and
the association are threatening to split Is
that provision Of the chambers constitu-
ton which says that members of all
auxiliary bodies must hrst be members
OF the chamber.
At the instance of a special committee
Of the chamber, headed by Isaac Cans
letters were sent to the chambers OF COM
merce ana boards OF trade IN sixty of the
largest cities in the country asking how
the problem Is handled by them. Forty
six replies have been received. 1t was
found that twenty-one of these cities
have retail merchants associations. In
ten Of the cities the retailers association
is affiliated with the parent organization,
either board Of trade or chamber OF
commerce. In eleven Of the cities the
retail merchants associations and the
chambers of commerce and boards OF
trade are distinct.
Hard and Fast Rule.
There is a hard and fast rule in the
chambers Of commerce Of ten cities TO
the effect that members Of the affiliated
retail merchants associations must be
members Of the chambers of commerce.
In none of the cities does the parent
organization pay the dues Of the MEM
bers Of the retail merchants association;
1t wes found. however. that In many OF
the cities part Of the running expenses
of the retailers associations were paid
by the parent organizations.
According to decision of the board OF
governors Of the Washington Retail Mer-
chants Association, each Of its members
whether the association is to continue
to be affiliated with the chamber or to
break away and form separate organ
ixation.
A meeting of the special committee APP
pointed to draft form for taking this
vote was held today at the Office Of r.
p. Andrews, Mr.. Andrews, James ia
cobb and M. A. Leese being the members
of the committee.
Questions Sent Out.
The list Of questions sent out by the
Chamber of Commerce to the organiza-
tons in other cities included requests
1OT lH1OT1nHIlOn rs Tic cAlStCuSC VI
retailers associations; whether they were
affiliated with the chambers of COM
merce: what support was contributed by
the parent Organization, and whether
membership in the parent organization
was a requisite Of membership in the
retail merchants association.
Among those cities in which the retail
merchants associations are affiliated with
the chambers of commerce and boards OF
trade, and in which the members OF the
retail merchants association are COM
PEELED to be members also OF the parent
organization, is Buffalo. n 7. There the
retail merchants association occupies
one of the rooms Of the chamber. has
phone service through the chambers
switchboard. but receives no other finan-
cial assistance from the chamber.
In Cleveland, Ohio; Cambridge, Mass,
Boston. Mass; Milwaukee, Wis. and To-
ledo. Ohio. the retail merchants associ-
atoms must also conform to rule that
their members must first be members OF
the chamber of commerce or board OF
trade, the parent organizations. just as in
Washington at present. In Cleveland, in
addition to giving the retailers ONCE
space, ETC., the chamber Of commerce
pays part Of the salary Of the retail mer-
chants associations secretary. In Mil
waukee the members Of the retail mer-
chants association. while compelled to
be members Of the chamber of commerce.
do not have to pay any extra dues, the
expenses OF the ASSOCIATION DelNB pdlQ
by the parent organization.
Have No Connection.
In q number of the cities where there
are retail merchants associations there
chambers Of commerce. This is true in
Chicago, New Orleans. st. Louis. Wor-
cester, Mass; Birmingham. Ala; Rich
W. Co1vr ah,,c AFT Ia mr.
Ore; Spokane, WASH: Bridgeport. Conn.
Indianapolis, Ind; Lawrence, Mass, and
Fall River. Mass.
Other cities were found to have no re-
tail merchants associations as such.
among them Albany, N. Y; Baltimore,
Md: Cincinnati, Ohio; Detroit. Mich;
Kansas City. Mo-: Oakland. Cal: Pater-
son, N. j.; Rochester, N. Y. and Seattle,
Wash.
In Dallas, Tex. IT was found that the
chamber of commerce. the parent organi-
zation. permitted members of the retail
merchants association who were not
members Of the chamber. This Is dis
couraged. however, 1t was said. and
every effort made to have all the mem
beers Of the association also join the
chamber Of commerce.
The Denver Chamber Of Commerce also
permits its retail merchants association
to have members not members or the
chamber. 1t pays s. annually as dues for
also a member Of the chamber.
In Dayton, Ohio, when a man JOINS
the chamber Of commerce he automat.
ically becomes a member of the retail
association-if he be re-
tailer-and there are no distinct dues.
This is true also in Grand Rapids, Mich.
No Central Organization.
From Philadelphia and San Francisco
came replies to the effect that there Is
no large central retail merchants assoc
ciation but q number Of merchants as
sociations confined to different lines OF
business or different localities, and these
are not affiliated with the chamber of
or board of trade. In San
Francisco. however, the chamber OF COM |
merce has q rule that all members or |
auxiliary bodies must be members or the |
chamber as in this city
In Pittsburgh, Pa, the retail merchants
was organized as part OF
the board of trade but later broke away |
from the parent organization and Is now
a separate organization. This same |
course has been followed in other cities |
where the retail merchants have gotten |
together at first as committee OF the |
parent organization.
II was pointed out today that while the |
retail merchants who are members of the |
Cha mber of Commerce and members of /
the association pay $50 in dues to the |
Oh amber each year and pay dues on a |
sliding scale to the Retail Merchants |
Association, the chamber gives the asso-
postage and other expenses-though il |
of Of the salary IF /