The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-07-25
development and betterment of oul

development and betterment OF our
nation as a whole
"The United States has advanced in
civilization and industrial development
faster than any other nation the
world has ever known. Agricultural
". she stands first, but commercially
our development up to the present
time has been along individual lines
and through individual efforts. It has
remained for the other nations of the
eagath to lead in combined commercial
development, and as has been stated
/ by some of the members of our party
at other places where we have stopped
our exports consist of less labor than
those of any other great exporting ma
ton of the globe. 49,.
Our federal regulations concerning
commerce have been passed with only
a half consideration of the subject, be-
cause until now every industry has
advocated it's. own interests. and every
individual has clamored for that which
would make profits for himself, The
business interests of this country have
never been together. 1t has been
great tussle and the result naturally
has been the survival of the nttest,
Some of us have grown great at the
expense of others; some sections of
| our country have prospared through
the exploitation of the resources prop
erly belonging to other sections.
TT was this condition of affairs
which caused Mr. Taft, during his last
year as president, to issue q call to the
business men of America to meet in
| Washington, consider their needs and
Ito organize themselves if they saw AT,
| into great national organization that
could when occasion demanded speak
1.-THE wishes of American commerce,
/ I'm answer to that call there assem-
bled at the national capitol in April of
Hast year some 200 delegates repre-
senting the business interests of every
state in the union, and after several
Idays of serious discussion the first
steps toward the organization OF thf
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States were taken. and its first board
sof directors elected. charged with the
Iby-laws and perfecfing a permanent
i Organization.
NATURALLY the organization of sucr
la body as we represent could not bs
Eperfected in day. and II was Septem-
4 ber of last year before any effective
work could be done. then a tentative
Eplan of organization was perfected snt
LAT the first annual convention which
met in Washington in January OF thi;
Iyear a constitutions and bylaws wa.
Il adopted and a permanent board or di.
slrectoFs and officers elected
IL Since that time great SirldeS haFi
been made. There are now more thar
Il $50 organizations enrolled. represent
ing total membership OF over 200,00t
1 business men But. while our progress;
II has been great, we have hardly
scratched the surface There is |
possible organization membership d
1000 commercial clubs and chamber
of commerce. and we should not anS
will not stop In our efforts until ",
Il have enrolled under the banner OF thi:
organization practically all of them.
THE questions that come before ui
Il for consideration must necessarily h
III national In character. The organixR
tion cannot at any time advance th
interests of d local section OF thf
county. but 1t can and viii at all time
labor for the advancement OF Anaerl
lean business as a whole and for III
npbuilding and enligh htennent OF tn
" entira population OF the United States
Many problems are already unde
!. consideration some OF them have bee.
advanced TO the point pf q referendum
sand the board on directors are nor
! planning and peTfecEimg means 10 pu
into efTect the result OF these refer
) Ianaa. #
Ell PROBABLY the most important o
4 those whfcia have already been sub
& / ssaitted to ii referendum vote. lis the dc
a naand NY the business Maea of 4Araeric
/ TOR permanent tariff com nlissfon. N
1 matter in what seetsUn et the cOuntr.
we rnaT live. VIC are All subject mor