Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1919-05-16
Delegates From Chamber of
Commerce Tell of Work
at St. Louis
PROBLEMS PRESENTED
Local Chamber Was Represented by
+. Stuart Roger and Wallace Lind
sey-l,20O Delegates Attended.
Gentlemen:

Gentlemen:
Mn. Wallace Lindsey and myself
appointed as delegates by the presi-
dent to represent the Alexandra
Chamber of Commerce at the Cen
!, vsntion of the Chamber of Commerce
Of the United States, in st. Louis,
April 1890 and May /, 1919, beg to
report as follows:
At this convention there were in
attendance about 1900 representa-
tive business men, representing every
state in the Union. Virginia was rep
resented by two delegates from Alex
andria, two from Newport News, four
srom Richmond and three from Roa-
noke. The City of Washington was
represented by twenty delegates
The convention was addressed by
some of the most representative bust
ness men Of the country and big ma
tional problems were the themes Of
most cf the addresses.
Among the speakers were Horror
able Carter Glass, Secretary of the
Treasury, Honorable William c. Red
field, Secretary Of Commerce, Edwarc
n. Hurley, Chairman U. S. Shipping
Beard, Homer L. Ferguson, President
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company, Walker D. Hines, Di-
rector General of Railroads, Senator
Albert B. Cuntntins, Samuel Rea,
President of the Pennsylvania Rail
road and numerous other promiIen;
men.
Honorable William C. Redfield, Sec.
rotary CT Commerce, spoke on Gem.
nse~ce." He suggested cooperation as
the best middle ground between c.ose
combination and unrestrained con:pe
titicl in the conduction of private
business in the United States. Suc!.
cooperation, he stated, would recog-
n;zc the right Of labor to organize.
business, he pointed out, has been S;
thoroughly reformed, that the a?pli-
cation of drastic antitrust laws j.
no longer necessary, and it is recog
aized that the Old trust system ha
had its day and that the bitter cor
tests of competitions are dangerous
to the community.
He spoke of commerce and industry
recognizing thresfold obligations, ie
to the public (including the Govern
nnsnt), to labor, and to the owners OF
business. The record Of industrial ef
fort in the war reveals that many a!
industry worked for the country with
ont profit and some were actual!
wrecked by reason of their service.
Many of the large and more pro
gressive industries are already in the
process nf working out admitted OBJ
legations of business toward LABOR
He said the leaders of modern bGsi-
ness thought have gone beyond loga'
standards and are dealing with labor
on a human basis, admitting it TO ha :
living force that can be lead to gltea;
prcductiveness but which is incrcas
ingly dangerous to drive and whose
efficiency depends on many fact1rs. of
which but one, and no one always
controlling, is the rate Of wages paid
through these very respects business
has come, or is coming, to new and
large obligation to itself; to con-
ception Of this dignity as a protuc
tive point in the land, and through
that. to a more wholesome, broader
and finer ethical atmosphere.
1t is a part of this spirit of CO
operation that industry should give
to labor that which it expects labor
to give to it. A corporation is moth
i,Ig but union of capital and shouk
no. object to dealing with union 0.
labor. What is right for one is rigk,
for the other. collective bargaining i:
here to stay. 1t has long feasted an
been welcomed on the side of the cor
porat;on and cooperation will admi
lis right to be on the side of the en-
ployees.
Honorable Edward n. Hurley, chair
man of the U. S. > Shipping Boart
spoke upon the 'Merchant Marine.
He dealt mainly with the two mos
common fears concerning the futul