Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-28
Seventeen Members Of Ma
tionaI Organization, Repre-
senting Leading Cities Spend
Several Hours Here.
TAKEN ON RIDE THROUGH
WHOLESALE DISTRICTS
President Ferguson Is Enthu-
siastic in Praise of Omaha.
Tells of Aims and Purpose of
National Chamber.

Enroute to Seattle where they
will hold their annual meeting, off,
GERS of the Chamber of Commerce
of the United States, II of them.
representing that number of the
leading cities of the country, spent
the greater portion of Sunday in
Omaha. Here they were joined by
Charles c. George and during the
afternoon they continued their
journey, Denver being the next
stopping place.
These II officers, representing
hundreds of millions of dollars in
vested ihobig business liked Omaha
and they did not hesitate to say so.
At the Burlington station their
train was met by a delegation Of
Omaha Chamber of Commerce and
after the informal greeting. were
taken on a 50-mile automobile ride
through the jobbing and retail dis
tricts of the city, through the parks
and over the boulevards. arriving
at the Country club, where luncheon
was served and where they spent a
portion of the afternoon, the guests
of the Omaha chamber, stopping
at the home of Charles c. George,
in Dundee, enroute, where refresh
ments were served ~'--'
Represent 1,l0o Trade Bodies.
As officers of the national asso-
citation, the visitors are the repre-
sentatives of 1,l00 trade bodies with
a membership of more than 100000
members. The personnel of the
visiting party follows:
President-Homer L. Ferguson,
Newport News Dry Dock and Ship
building company, Newport News.
Chairman Executive Committee
and Vice-president for northern
central statAs-Joseph H. Defrees,
Defrees, Buckingham & Eaton, Chi
cago.
Treasurer - John Joy Edison.
banker, Washington.
Assistant Secretary-D. A. Skin
ner, Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, Washington.
Manager Field Division-F. N.
Shepherd. Chamber of Commerce
of the United States, Washington.
Directors-William Butterworth,
Deere Plow company; L. S. Gillette.
Plymouth Investment company.
Minneapolis; Granger A. Hollister,
Rochester Railway and Light COM
pany, Rochester; Clarence H. How
ard. Commonwealth Steel company.
St. Louis; Frank H. Johnson, City
Coal and Wood-company, New
Britain; R. A. Mccormick, McCor-
mick & Co., Baltimore: Lewis
E. Pierson, Irving National bank,
New York; Henry NJ. Victor, Union
National bank, Charlotte; A. w.
Smith, Member Committee on Rail
roads. Atlanta; S. T. Early, Asso-
clated Press representative; Hobart
h. Ramsdell, secretary to president;
Pomeroy Burton, manager London
Daily Mail. -.
AT the Country club, following the
luncheon and after the cigars had
been lighted, Charles c. George pre-
siding, introduced President Homer
L. Ferguson, who threw a bouquet
at Omaha by saying that to go west
it would be impossible to do so with
out stopping in Omaha He asserted
that he was glad that he had had ar
opportunity of visiting the city and
referred to it as "a city with wide
streets, palatial business houses and
splendid homes" adding that these
are things that please the observing
visitors; it gives the feeling that the
foundation OF the city and its future
is secure"
Tells of Purpose.
Speaking of the Chamber of Com.
merce of the United States, Presi-
dent Ferguson told of it's aims and
purposes, it being an organization of
business men, to gather business
opinions and reflect them in legisla
ton; to aid in carrying on recon-
struction work turing the period
following the war and to get in
touch with business men the world
over.
Speaking of foreign trade. Presi-
dent Ferguson asserted that Europe
is in need of the goods and wares
produced in the United States and
that the countries there are likely to
produce articles of commerce and
trade that will be required here. He
detailed the work that the national
chamber has undertaken. co-operat-
ing with the government, 1t has
undertaken to obtain better mail ser
vice: is working in the interest of
good roads. and on a plan with a
view to affording remedy by which
the street railways of the country
may exist.
With reference to street railways,
Mr.. Ferguson took the position that
higher fares must be expected, "as
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