Evening star., 1934-06-30
CHAMBER UN|TES
WITH TRADE BOARD
BY MERGER VOTE
Consolidation Brings Men,
bership to 4,000-Women
Are Dropped.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED
TO EFFECT TRANSFER
Dorsey Hyde Says Women's City
Club Anxious to Accept
Feminine Contingent.

Tne CapltaIS TWO major ITaOe OI-
ganizations-the Washington Cham
Der of Commence and Board of
Trade-are united today, with a COM
bined membership of more than 1000,
ending 27 years of friendly rivalry be-
tween the two.
Merger of the trade bodies became
an actuality last night when approx
mately 200 members Of the chamber,
at a special meeting in the May
flower Hotel, voted to combine with
the Board of Trade, accepting at the
same time the terms of consolidation
set forth by the latter organization.
Mrs. Marie c. Rogers, assistant sec
retary of the chamber, Is the only
paid executive of the organization to
be retained in the consolidated or
ganization. Dorsey w. Hyde, jr., sec
retary of the group since 1926. said
last night his plans for the future are
indefinite.
Union of the two bodies will in
crease the membership of the Board
of Trade by from 200 to 300, since
the majority of those on the roster
of the chamber are also members Of
the board. The total chamber Lien2-
bership is nearly 1000. while that
of the Board of Trade IS approx
mately $500.
May Alter Name.
There is no provision in the terms
of the merger that the name of the
Chamber of Commerce will be COM
bined with that of the Board Of
Trade, but w. w. Everett, chairman
of special committee of the board,
which worked with a chamber COM
mittee on the consolidation, gave as
surance that every effort to effect
this would be made when the board
has its next meeting in october.
The 40 women members of the
Chamber of Commerce are auto
matically dropped by the terms OF
the agreement. The Board OF Trade
has no provision for feminine mem
bership Opposition to this feature
was voiced by two speakers at the
meeting last night-Simon Bellof
and A. Landau-who vigorously OBJ
jected to the discrimination" against
woman members. Hyde informed the
meeting the Women's City Club was
anxious to take in the woman mem
bers being dropped by the chamber.
The resolution proposing the merger
was placed before the group oy
Thomas P. Lttlepage, former presl-
dent, who headed the committee rep
| resenting the chamber in the dehb-
erations looking toward a consoh-
dation.
c. of c. Initiated Merger.
Littlepage emphasized that the plan
to merge originated in the chamber.
Il don't want the impression to
get out" he said that the Board OF
Trade used high-preSsure sales meth
DDS to bring about this union. 1t did
not. The proposition was brought up
by members of the chamber and at
their request the officers approached
| the Board of Trade. The latter then
appointed a committee to work with
us in ironing out details. 1t is not
| the purpose, either, of the chambers
| officers to unload their reSponslblll-
| ties"
| Enthusiastic Endorsement of the con-
solidation was voiced by other speak
ers at the meeting, including Robert
N. Harper, one of the founders of the
chamber and four times its president;
Isaac Cans, member of the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board. twice presi-
dent of the organization, and Harry
King, former president.
There was not a dissenting voice
when the question was put to vote.
Record Transfer Voted.
In adopting the merger resolution,
the group decreed that the members
of the Chambes of Commerce
hereby ratify and indorse the rec
ommendation of the Board of Direc-
tors that the Washington Chamber
of Commerce consolidate with the
| Washington Board of Trade; and
authorize and empower William c..
Miller (president) or George E.
Keneipp (vice presidentl to transfer
to the Washington Board of Trade
all books. records, property of evess
kind, and to assign to the Washing
ton Board Of Trade all interest in
accounts receivable, securities or
claims against any banks or individ-
uals; and that the said William c.
Miller or George E. Keneipp be au-
thorized to appoint committee of
five to cooperate with the Washing
ton Board of Trade in effecting all
transfers and plans of consolidation; !;
and that the acts of the said William
| c. Miller or George E. Keneipp and
the majority of the committee ap-
pointed by them be binding and con-
elusive upon the members Of the
Washington Chamber of Commerce"
Keneipp, who presided in the alb
sence Of Miller, appointed a COM
mittee consisting of the chambers of
flcers, including Frank r. Jelleff,
Walter c. Balderston, Ernest Herrell,
Keneipp and Miller.
Replying to a proposition that
women organize their own Chamber
of Commerce, Littlepage said he felt
they would make mistake to do So.
"I hope the women do not initiate
such an organization" he said.
Cites Accomplishments.
| The chambers former president re-
viewed in brief the active history of
the trade body, pointing particularly
to two recent accomplishments of
note-merger Of the street railway
companies, a movement which origi-
mated in the chamber, and restoration
of part Of the Government pay cut.
a proposition on which the chamber
was the first organization In the
country to act.
The chamber is the younger of the
two trade bodies, having been founded
in 1907, while steps to initiate the
Board Of Trade were taken as far
back as 1865. The chamber was the
outgrowth of merger Of the Jobbers
and Shippers Association and the
Business Mems Association.
II Headquarters of the consolidated