Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-01
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The Chamber Of Commerce has taken
the lead during the year just closed III
many lines of activity. and has had one
Of the most successful years In its MIS-
tory. Early in the year a comprehen-
sive report on the question of the SAM
tary handling of milk and upon the m Tx
supply of the District of Columbia was
submitted by a special committee. which
had given a great deal of time and at
tention to the work This milk report
has gone, not only to all parts of the
, United States, but also to many foreign
countries. 1t was printed as 4 Senate
document upon order of the United States
Senate. and Is considered STANDARD
work on the milk question.
The conventions committee of tie
chamber has been particularly success
full in bringing MANY conventions TO
Washington during the last year. 1t
has also laid the groundwork for bring
ing many of the largest conventions held
in the country to this city in the years
1912 and 1913. Hundreds of thousands OF
dollars are spent in Washington by the
delegates who come to these conventions,
and it 'fs estimated that the returns up n
the amount invested to bring any lar
ticular convention to this city has beer
about LOCO per cent The Chamber of
Commerce has entertained in its hea l.
quarters the delegates to many of the
conventions held here. and still furthe.'
cemented their friendship for the Nation
al Capital
A review of the year dealing with tie
activities of the Chamber of Commerce
would be incomplete without mention of
the work done by the Retail Mere. ANTS
Association of the chamber This or
ganization. formed little over d year
ago, as an offspring of the chamber. all
of it's members being also members of
the chamber. has grown and developed
| greatly. 1t has done much to better con-
ditions for the retail merchants. \ din
ner given in November. to which re-
| tail merchants from all parts Of the city.
whether members of the association or
! not, were invited. 1t proved d great sue
/ cess. and the get together dinner" as
it was called. will probably be repea G 1
annually
before it many important projects for
establishing industries in Washington.
| The Robert n. Harper plan for organ-z-
| ing a holding corporation for the purpose
+; tories received the approval of the COM
mittee. and later the approval of the
| hoard of directors and Of the chamber
itself. This plan. which calls for the
| at not less than $250.Os is to be pushed
ahead by Mr.. Harper Immediately.
! The Chamber OF Commerce has taken
a lead in the fight for an adequate pen
sion fund for the police and fire depart
| ments of the District. and also has gone
on record as favOrinE heartily retire
ment system for the public school teach
ers. \ special committee on the future
development of Washington, headed by
Glenn Brown. and supporting the McMil-
Ian Park Commission plan for the i'm
prOvement of the city. has done much i'm
portant work in educating the entire
country in regard to the National Cap
ital. The chamber also gave impetus tC
the peoples gardens movement in this
city during the last year. through which
hundreds of homes have been made more
bea utiful
! When the governors of nearly a doZer
of the western states visited Washington
In December, during their long tril
through the east for the purpose o.
bringing the two sections of the countr,
into closer touch. the Chamber of Com
merce united with the Board Of Trad,
in entertaining the governors and in tax
ing them sightseeing trip abou
Washington The chamber also joined
with the Board of Trade in the enter
tainment at luncheon of the delegates t
the Pan-American conference held her
, last winter. and in reception given a
the New Willard Hotel In honor of tn
members Of Congress.
The chamber has given its support t
a movement for public utilities com
, mission for the District, and also to
movement for universal transfers on tn
street car lines of the District. Durin
3 the summer an outing was taken unde
I cluded a trip to New York, via Norfoll
2 Va The officers of the chamber for tn
year have been: President, James +
Oyster; first vice president. d. ]. Cal
4 lahan: second vice president c. j. Bell
e treasurer. A. Lisner: secretary, Thoma
: Grant. and general counsel. Chapi
\ Brown.