Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-30
PLAN FOR A GREATER
COMMERCE CHAMBER
Is NEAR REALIZATION
After Two Months Work
the Reorganization Com
mittee Is R e a d y to
Launch City-wide Cam
paign for Members.

Tho idea of comprehensive CONNER
.iaI oganization for Philadelphia, first
sroposed by Alba h. johnson more than
Two years ago. and which has passed
through various stages of agitation since
then, at last Is about to be realized, ac-
cording to views of various members OF
,he Reorganization Committee of the
cbamber of Commerce.
For nearly two months the committee
has had an extra force of detail men
Al work on the fourth floor of the La
favette Building, under the direction of
men of experience, planning for a city
wide campaign for membership in the
Greater Chamber of Commerce. The
work of physical preparation now is
nearly completed, and by the end OF
this week all arrangements for the mem
bership campaign proper will have been
made.
CAMPAIGN STARTS NEXT TUESDAY.
The campaignl is to begin Tuesday of
next week Several hundred loyal Phila-
delphians will assemble at 10 o'clock in
the morning resolve themselves into COM
mttees of three, and call upon business
and professional men of the city TO in
yite them to become members of the
Greater Chamber of Commerce. Two
hours ach day for a period of four days
will be devoted to this committee work.
The Reorganization Committee believes
that Philadelphia should have a Chamber
Of Commerce with n representative mem
bership of four or five thousand, and an
income of 100000 to s125,0OO.
In order that every man invited to join
this city-wlde movement may understand
what is planned, the committee has pre-
pared n comprehensive outline of the gem
sral plan under which the reorganized
body will operate. Copies of this will be
sent out Wednesday by special mes
sengers to thousands OF business and
professional men in all parts of the city.
The men receiving these papers will be
visited by the committees next week.
WILL SOLICIT OLD MEMBERS.
AS the dues are to be increased from
SO to S25 year, the present members of
the Chamber of Commerce will be asked
10 sign the same form of application for
membership in the reorganized body rs
the new members. In this way, it Is felt,
the enlarged organization will start off
on uniform basis. The committees,
therefore, will include the present mem
bership in their visits.
The Get-Together Dinner, of the Cham
ber. announced for Monday evening, April
g. at the Bellevue -Stratford, is a part
OF the general plan of the Reorganlza-
ton Committee. At the dinner no mem
ber will be sought, and no financial
pledges of any character requested.
"It is simply to start the week off
properly" said Chairman Alba B. John
son. I'VE have been working up to this
point for long time. We have tried and
we have hoped and now that we are
about to succeed finally, it seems most
fitting that we should reach the climax
Of our preparatory work in an Eater
Monday pplphrn tinn and q "a ~ raT1
paign with the same celebration. In ad-
ditlon to the members of the Chamber
OF Commerce, invitations to the dinner
have also been extended to the officers
and directors of as many other organiza-
tons in the city as we could possibly
reach. II we have overlooked any, we
would welcome the opportunity to pro-
vide them with invitations. This dinner
Is TO be an informal, family sort of affair,
and we shall be much disappointed if we
DO not fill the Bellevue-Stratford' ban
quet hall.
5 DINNER TO BE INSTRUCTIVE.
While the dinner is to be in the nature
OF celebration" he said, Its real pur-
pose Is TO discuss the value of such an
organization as has been planned. We
shall have some local speakers. and some
from out of town. We shall have men
VINO can tell us what they are doing in
~ organization way in other cities
We shall have speakers who can point
out clearly the incalcuable benefit of
such an organization to Philadelphia. We
are making every effort to have this
dinnerd not only enjoyable, but instruc-
i've and inspiring. 1t ought to mark
NE beginning of a new era in Philadel-
phia.
. AS an evidence of the interest that is
oenG taken in the dinner" said Mr.. john
son II have already learned OF "a num-
Der OF men, who had planned to remain
away with their families until Tuesday
VINO have changed their plans and will
return In time for the dinner. We hope
70 be able to announce the complete pro-
srain OF the evening after a special meet
lns or the directors of the Chamber of
commerce which has been called for
Wednesday at o'clock.