Evening star., 1935-04-28
CONVENTION HERE
OF i. S. CHAMBER
MAY HIT NEW DEAL
Plain Speaking Expected
When Business Men
Open Meeting.
LABOR ALSO WILL MAP
LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY
A. F. of L. Calls Conference to
Push Two Bills Opposed by
Industrial Interests.

ministration'S recovery program, busl-
ness men of the country will gather
here this week for the 23rd annual
meeting of the Chamber of Com
merce of the United States.
The first plenary session will be
held Tuesday after preliminaries to-
morrow
And while the leading figures Of in
dustry and commerce are using the
Capital as sounding board, labor also
will be having its say here. as Will
liam Green, president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. has called a
conference, starting tomorrow, to urge
on Congress the passage of legislation
in behalf of the workers. In this pro-
gram are at least two items vigorously
opposed by the chanber-the Black
.Connery 30-hour work week bill and
the Wagner labor disputes bill.
New Deal Due for Criticism.
In advance of the meeting, 1t is
predicted vigorous criticism will be
directed at Government invasion OF
the field of private business. with par
ticular attention to the power indus
try.
The current issue of the Washing
ton Review. chamber business sum-
mary, asserts "encroachment Of gov
ernment into the business fields as a
competitor of private enterprise" is
lone Of the main causes of present
business uncertainty" This theme is
expected to be amplified as speakers
survey the range of Government op-
erations, actual and contemplated
Another outstanding object of at
tack will be the administration
sponsored bill to curb utilities holding
companies. special committee having
prepared report putting the chamber
on record against ''prohibitive and
punitive" legislation of this sort.
The proposed new national recovery
act agriculture, banking. transporta-
ton. foreign trade. taxes and budget,
and numerous related issues also will
be debated in the four days given
over to the meeting. At the end the
views of the organization, as whole,
will be framed in resolutions. In many
instances these simply will reaff1rm
previously enunciated principles.
Sibley Slated for President.
Additional interest is attracted to
the meeting this year, as it is ''presi-
Dental year." and a successor will be
chosen to succeed President Henry I.
Hartman, New England industrialist,
who has served the customary three
years.
All signs point to the selection of
Harper Sibley, agriculturist and live
stock grower, who operates extensively
as head of Sibley Farms, Sibley Ill, in
New York, California and Canada.
Sibley is described as a middle e-of-
the-roader" in contradistinction to the
so-called conservative and liberal ele-
ments in the chamber. The election is
by the Board of Directors, upon rec
ommendation of the Nominating Com
mittee, and always takes place after
adjournment of the convention. It ap-
pears that Sibley's will be the only
name presented In this past week he
came to the White House in company
with Mr.. Hartman and met Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
Whether the President will take
any part in the gathering is uncer-
tain He has been invited to the
annual banquet Wednesday night.
Two years ago, just after taking Of
flee, Mr.. Roosevelt spoke at the din
ner and urged his hearers to raise
wages. Last year he sent message,
admonishing against crying wolf"
Hull and Roper to Speak.
Two members of the official fam
lily will address convention sessions
however. Secretary of State Hull
will have as his topic THE Foreign
Commercial Policy of the United
States at the concluding meeting.
while Secretary of Commerce Roper
will speak to the American Trade
Association Executives, at dinner at
the Mayfiower, Tuesday night.
At the formal opening Tuesday
President Hartman will make his an
nual address on THE Achievements
of American Business Under Depres-
sion;" A. 0. Dawson of Montreal,
will discuss "The Relation of Gov
ernment to Business in Canada"
Forney Johnson, Birmingham at
torney, also will speak
The Government in business"
note will be sounded at the general
session Wednesday In the address on
Electric Power Industries and the
Governments Relation to Them" by
Wendell L. Wilkie of New York,
president of the Commonwealth and
Southern Corp. On that program
also will be Lawrence M. Judd,
former Governor of Hawaii, speak
ing on THE Importance of Hawaii
to American Trade and National De-
fense," and Frederic S. Snyder of
Boston, former president of the
American Institute of Meat Packers,
on "The Kind of Banking System
Business Man Needs"
Allen on Program.
At the annual dinner that night
at the Washington Auditorium, the
speaker will be Henry j. Allen, former
Republican Governor of Kansas,
whose topic will be Lessons from
World Recovery Effects"
Speaking with Secretary Hull
Thursday will be DR.. Veil Carothers,
economist of Lehigh University.
The council starts with a luncheon
at 1890 O'Clock: the International
chamber group dimes at the May
flower at 7:30, and the trade associ-
alton executives will be in session
all day, with dinner at the May
flower. At the morning meeting of the
executives, the speakers will include
Chester C. Davis, head of the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration;
Prentiss Conley, code administration
director, and Leon c. Marshall,
executive secretary of the N. r. A.
The general session of the chamber
will be held at headquarters, Seven
teenth and H streets, as will some
group sessions, with luncheon meet
irRs at the willard and MayfloWer,