New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-13

officers Of the government against DIX
business men. The capital Il for
Little business men is used purposely-
There has come a change about taxing
care Of the interests Of the Little bust
ness man in this country, and the Fed
eral Trade Commission has been one OF
the chief governmental agencies during
,ts informal conferences that has
helped 70 bring about this change.
Work Of Trade Committee.
II might be said, too. that the Fed
oral Trade Committee Of the Chamber
Of Commerce of the United States has
been the chief agency Of business 10
bring about this change. There ere
reasons for this statement which Will
be explained later Il IS certainly i'm
portant 20 say that big business men
no longer try 70 pass laws inimicsl
Co Nttle business mems interests, and
that big business men no longer appeal
% the agencies Of the Federal govern
naent against each other They all now
fsht out their battles. so far as they
can. In an organization which was
brought together IN May. l9l2-May u
when twenty-five national organiza-
tons Interested in business subjects
said they would get together.
dozen instances might be men
toned why these general statements
that the Chamber OF Commerce OF the
United States has como 70 be the 81,
preme Court Of Business Of the Unlted
States were shown 10 be true at the
Convention lust ended I'm Washington.
But while dozen might be mentioned
two will perhaps suffice. Before dong
60 However. u ought 10 be pointed out
that most men who attend conventions
know that the real Stories ss news
paperrnen call iuformatlon-the real
work-st conventions do not come
from the result Of having men with
great names deliver addresses, or from
banouets at which the President OF the
United States speaks. All citizens or
the United States, women as wei as
men, desire to attend meetings az when
the President speaks and hear what ne
has 10 saw. But II is not always taken
for granted that he will say the last
word on subjects Of general interest
Sometimes. in fact this was true ih
Mr.. Taft's day, when he was president
and wss the frat President or the
United States 10 address the chamber
Of Commerce Of the United STATES ana
u is true Of conventions generally IN
Wssbington now. while Mr.. Wilson IS
President-oficials Of conventions and
organizations know in advance along
general lines what Presidents Of the
United States are 20 say 70 them NJ
their banauets and meetings. But no
human being ever knew what was going
70 happen In a meeting Of committee
on resolutions in q convention o. me
Chamber Of Commerce Of the United
States. No one has ever known, and
that Is the principal reason why the
national chamber has earned for Itself
the title Of the Supreme Court % Bust
ness Of the United states.
Real Work Under the Surface.
No. tho real work in conventions. IN
ell big organizations, is done under the
surface. II ght read like easy steps
for little feet" 10 say 90, OF one might
be accused by the initiated OF beng
%didActic" 20 say so, but the whole
truth Is the general public does not
understand conventions or their inside
machinery and does not care about
them.
So II is Of importance TO explain how
the Chamber OF Commerce Of the
United States. so far as the resolutions
committee and the board Of directors
are concerned, met and confronted the
two instances which have been men
toned as typical Of how the nstions
chamber does things.
This is what newspaQermen call in
side stuff
The railroads Of tho country, It &
very generally believed, because OF the
fact that the railroad employees hav'
been taking d vote on the subject anC
some straws have been exhibited 4
show how the wind Is going TO blow
are facing strike.
All the railroads OF the country ar
60 be tied up. Commerce and industry
will cease u the strike comes. W.
won't be talking In this country an.
more about the necessity for "a mer
chant marine 10 ship stuff 20 Europe o
latin-America. The question OF ship
ping munitions OF war 70 Europe vii
become d dead issue We will be IN
terested chiefly ia getting some fou
from Minnesota, some gloves from
Gloversville. some boots and shoes from
Massachusetts, some cotton from Ala
bsma. Texas, etc, and some sugar In
gradients from the cane and beet ooun
tries, some cattle or q small sirloir
steak TO put on the table at home. 4
the railroad strike comes.
Appeal Of the Railroads.
The railroads OF the United State,
framed up an appeal 20 the convention
/ OF the Chamber of Commerce Of tn,
m United States. They got thousands O.
vi people 70 become interested IN sendins
kilograms TO the convention urginl
a aka y. al n
resolutions committee did not Ike the
way II was done. The resolutions com.
nittee, with the assistance Of the board
OF directors Of the chamber. RESENTED
IL. They made up their minds that they
could not recommend that the chamber
go on record as either IN favor Of III,
railroads quarrel or the employees
quarrel
Rescntful- tho word is used adyls
edly-of the campaign Of telegraphint
OF propaganda that they felt during IN
convention they were obliged 20 conduc
In order 10 bring their case before n,
tribunal 10 which they appealed. thl
resolutions committee and the board O
directors resolved that they would Sc,
both sides in the interests % the bust
ness of the country and they passed
resolution at the convention which con
tsined one little word-the wor'
"must"-in allusion 10 the fact tina
the railroad employees and employer
should settle their differences by ar
bitration, that contained more rea
evidence Of power. when II Is consid
cred that the business men Of the
country are those who pay the freight
than a thousand other words could in
dictate.
Incidentally, there are reasons 20 be
lieve-therc is no reason 10 detail them
here-that some railroad presidents