Evening journal., 1914-12-24
Chamber of Commerce An Aid
To Government and Trade

In the current issue Of Wilmington.
the official publication of the Cham
Der of Commerce, which is circu-
lated in South America, appears the
following article:
why is the Chamber Of Com
merce?," one of our local publications
cynically asks. and because it gives
no answer leaves the average reader
with the impression he has about
snakes in ireland. "there amt none"
The question is often asked, just what
is a Chamber Of Commerce? What
should its membership judiciously in
clude and what are it's functionsg
1t may be recalled by those who /
were present at a recent luncheon /
gathering of attorneys invited by the /
Chamber of Commerce that one OF 1
the leaders of the New Castle County /
Bar. stated in perfectly good iaith
that he had never recognized that IL
was within the province OF a Chamber
of Commerce to devote time, money
and effort to such matters, as, inn
proved housing conditions, better
/ paved streets. raising educauonal
standards, better equipped play
grounds, and making social centers
of public schools. This lawyer maue
the general assertion that he had al
ways conceived a Chamber OF Com
merce to be an organization inter-
ested in promoting trade solely H.
he said. a Chamber of Commerce may
properly engage in quasi-phllan-
thropic activities. then he would nave
TO reconstruct his idea OF a Champer
7 of Commerce. IL may be OF interest,"
to note that this same attorney IS
now a member Of the Chamber OF
! Commerce.
Ev,.y member has an idea Of what
a Chamber of Commerce is. And,
: we suppose, in the last analysis
Chambers Of Commerce have beeh
built around the aggregate OF such
individual notions Seldom, now
E ever. has any one defined in broad
D. language the scope OF the mouern
trade organization with precision.
' only the experienced authority could
4 and we turn naturally to such an
Q authority.
Perhaps the most able answer ever
: given to the question, What consul
flutes an efficient commercial organ
" ization," is the address by William
George Bruce, Secretary OF the NIL
Ie waukee Merchants and Manufacturer
n Association delivered before the lsi'
convention of Commercial Secretarle'
Ia at Cincinnati II is with due sens
10 of appreciation that we paraphras'
= portions of Mr.. Bruce's address.
~ Amid the ever-increasing actiVlue
u of American urban centers OF popula
Id tion which arc deemed essential u
* their material and social welfare Ger
ne tain defined promotional enorts ar
n, now included as a fixed factor NE
e. are no longer content to perform tn
- mere civic duties prescribed rlsloi
bv statute, commonly referred 10
- obeying the laws and paying taAe'
" Today they are quickened by In
Gu realization that they are cltizehs- IN
eu homes and aspirations or con
er munity in this direction, and the pr'
No motional effort generated by su,
ly. ideals can not be entrusted either
he purely private enterprise OF pun
I'm authority. The activity OF the loV
government is circumscripeo py Ia
=. The single individual Is necessaIl
-. devoting nine-tenths OF MS "oIhii
~ hours to making a living.
ap- There can be and Is an uncoVer'
de field lying between the function
the individual and the local govern
ely ment. There is need for some organ
ng izafion which permits collective e
m fort. ana which at the same time q
oil croaches on neither the power OF u
- individual nor the sphere OF loc
He government. There is created, as
IL we're. a new category as a result
cK' which many individuals give pa
ng of their time, thought and EFFORT al
each contributes his spare effort al
led influence. Your commercial Orga
Iad ization IS then a piece Of machine
hat driven by collective influence, Co
yar stantly 1t should be noted that
commercial organization is mere
'"o the machinery through which certa
- ends are to be attained.
lod The earlier conception OF col
mercial organization took into co
alt sideration business promotion only
n a fact easily recognized when we
the call such an organization was
no BOARD of Trade. The communi
80 welfare idea was excluded as forei
IN its purpose. But with the gro
-. ing consciousness that there IS
nis vital relation between governme
the and commerce, that trade is PRONE
ed only where conditions and the G
vironment are propitious, there W
spontaneously demand to increa
the scope of the trade organizati'
The reason is obvious. Governmt
son must provide clear track for rece
ale nized and honorable pursuits.