Evening journal., 1915-01-15

may truthfully say that the Chamber
OF Commerce has done more than any
other agency in bringing about the
desired improvement.
The MONDAY luncheons and meet
ings this year have been highly pro-
fitable judging by the continued high
average attendance. The practice
of having outside authorities of note
as speakers at such meetings has
proven thoroughly successful. The
speakers have included A. H. Bald
, win, Chief of the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce; p. ..
Staples, Publicity Manager of the
Bell Telephone Company of Pennsyl-
yania; Ivy l.. Lee. Executive Assis-
tant of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company; Vim. H. Berry. Collector
! Of the Port Of Philadelphia; VIM. p.
Wright Author; DR.. Charles Wagner.
State Commissioner of Education;
Wilfred H. Schoff, Secretary Of the
Philadelphia Commercial Museum;
Harry w. Atwood, EX-Vice President
: Of the Chamber of Commerce Of the
! United States of America and H. r..
/ Miles, Chairman of the Wisconsin
State Board of Industrial Education.
: In this connection, / point out that
under the new organization the Mem
bership Council sessions which are
/ the outgrOVth of our MONDAY lun-
cheons arc meeting with continued
and increasing popularity and sue
/ cess. / believe that the Membership
Council is a very strong factor IN
the organism of the Chamber Of Com
merce and under its present system
bids fair to become the popular TO-
cussing point for civic Improvement
movements in Wilmington.
Organization.
AS far as the organization itself is
concerned, with particular reference
TO such part of il as is naturally IN
the Executive Department, l point
with pride to many important and
highly successful achievements
First of all / remind you that at
the beginning of 1913 the membership
Of the Chamber of Commerce was
divided into classes, each class hav-
ing q distinctive voting power. This
division, criticised by some as being
EoXiOus and burdensOme. has been
completely done away with and tbs
entire membership is now upon a
fiat basis of dues.
Shortly after my advent in Will
mington. and for several months
thereafter, l exertod all my effort:
toward increasing the membership
and the revenue of the Chamber o
Commerce and placing II upon
permanent financial basis. such a.
would guarantee to it the respect no
only of its own membership, but O.
the entire citizenship of Wilmington
and other large communities
In September l was successful Il
making satisfactory arrangement
whereby we might have a genuin,
Membership Campaign. With wha
success my efforts were attende,
will be Immediately apparent whel
! state that whereas we had on tn,
31st day of August. 1914. tota
membership Of 472 each paying So
: per annum anC in nowise obligatel
] to continue their membership for
b longer period. at the close Of busines
! December 81, 1914. our membershi
t had been increased to 93S Each @
{ these members pay annually in due
= S25 and is obligated furthermore b
! a contract to continue his member
% ship for three consecutive years.
/ is a source of qualification that u
= to the present moment only two {
our membership have offered thel
C designations, but | call particula
= attention to the fact that under tn
T terms of their application they cor
e tracted to take membership in tn
4 Chamber of Commerce and to pa
s their dues monthly in advance fc
l. three years. It is therefore oil
i vious that the membership of tn
I Chamber of Commerce may be hel