Evening journal., 1915-01-15
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICIALS REPORT BUSY YEAR

Of the information given by the
bureau Will depend in large part upon
the thoroughness with which iner-
chants cooperate in installing the
system.
would also caution you that a
Credit Rating System which en-
braces every retail charge account in
Wilmington cannot be established
over night and would ask you to he
patient until sufficient information
has been gathered TO place the bureau
in position to give accurate ratings.
Urge Haste on Legislation.
The Legislative Committee report
ed as follows:
To the President and Members of the
Chamber of Commerce.
Gentlemen-Your Legislative Com
mittee begs to report as follows:
Due to the fact that there was
no regular session of the General
Assembly during 1914 your Commit
tee has had but little business pre-
sented to it. The Committee did at
tho only meeting held, consider At
length the questions contained in
Referendum No. s of the Chamber Of
Commerce. 4. S. A., dealing with the
Clayton Antitrust bill. The report
prepared on these Referendum ques-
tions was approved by an almost
unanimous vote of the Chamber of
Commerce
Your Committee further begs 20
acknowledge that il has received re-
quests from the Legislative Commit
tee of the Delaware Automobile AS
sCciation and the Printers Group Of
the Membership Council that it CO.
operate with these committees in ie-
g.slative work that may arise.
Your Committee would further re-
commend that members of the Cham
her of Commerce having bills which
they desire brought before the COM
mittee should present them immedi-
ately. inasmuch as the 1915 Session
OF the General Assembly is now well
under way. While your committee
will not attempt to act as a clearing
house for all forms of novel legsla-
tion, il does offer to extend it's SER
vices to the members of the Cham
Der of Commerce along all legiti-
mate lines
Charles Topkis. Chairman Of the
Retail Advertisers Committee, re-
| ported as follows:
To tho President and Members of the
Chamber of Commerce
Gentlemen-YOu Retail Advertis
ors' Committee begs to submit the
| following report:
/ Your committee was appointed
early in 1914 in accordance with the
recommendation adopted by tho
! Mercantile Section at its reorganiza-
/ tion meeting, that there be a COM
mittee on outside advertising. As a
matter of fact in the absence of other
committees to do the work, your
committee has probably performed
/ the work of a committee on adver-
tising in tributary territory and the
committee on special trade attrac-
/ ticns and trade excursions.
Your committee would call atten-
ton TO the following activities which
have been directed by your commit
tee:
I Special Dollar Day Sale held Feb
ruary %. which was very successful.
! in view of the fact that it was the
first community feature sale con-
/ Quoted by the Chamber of Commerce.
Spring Style Week. March 16 70
March %, which while it was not as
successful as had been hoped for in
the volume of business done, showed
the possibilities of future sales of
! this character and did, through the
advertising conducted i'm connection
with il, inform the people Of the Del
marvia Peninsula that Wilmington is
a splendid shopping center. For this
event the Chamber Of Commerce
made an appropriation of $50 which
was expended mainly in newspaper
advertising.
Your Committee persuaded local
merchants TO act uniformly in the
matter of closing their stores on Me-
mortal Day and 4th of July and ad-
vertised the names Of the stores
which were closed and further sue
ceeded in having the markets which
would have been held on these holi-
days advanced to the day preceding
Your Committee suggested and was
active in making plans for the mosi
successful trade excursion the Cham.
Der OF Commerce has ever conducted
namely, that to nearby Maryland anC
pennsylvania communities July 9.
Your Committee conducted another
Dollar Day. Sale August 5, which wa.
considered by every one the mos
successful feature sale ever conduc
ted in Wilmington.
Your Committee arranged a Schoo
Opening Sale which. however, wa.
only fairly successful, due in par
to the lack of sufficient advertising.
Your Committee also did consider
able work to the end that local re
tail merchants adopt uniform time.
for opening and closing their store,
during the summer months.
Your Committee started a move
ment which resulted in nearly al
local merchants acting uniformly il
the matter of keeping their store.
]