Evening star., 1936-04-26
BIG BUSINESS"
M0B|L|z|NC HERE
FOR c. c. SESSION
Criticism of Roosevelt Ad-
ministration Expected to
Be Motif of Discussion.
SIBLEY WILL DELIVER
ADDRESS ON TUESDAY
Declaration Against Tax Bill Is
Expected-Internal War
Faces Body.
BY ]. A. FOX.

predominant motif of discussion, big
business" is mobilizing in Washington
this week for the twenty-fourth an
nual meeting of the Chamber OF Com
merce of the United States.
About 1000 delegates from COM
mercial groups all over the country
constituting one of the largest OF the
organizations conventions - are ex-
pected to be on hand in the chamber
auditorium at 10 am. Tuesday when
the formal opening is launched with
the address of Harper L. Sibley OF
Rochester, the president.
Preliminary meetings tomorrow will
pave the way for the major gather
ing, which will be concluded with the
annual dinner at the Willard Hotel
Thursday night.
viii Oppose Tax Bill.
There has been some talk that the
convention attitude this year will be
more tempered than that Of last,
when an uproarious wind-up saw the
chamber set face against banking,
utilities and social security legislation
which President Roosevelt had just
informed Congress must be consid-
cred as must" program.
1t is considered certain, however.
that there will be a fiat declaration
against the proposed tax bill.
First, it is said, the Chamber will
oppose any new revenue legislation
until there is an effort on the part Of
those in authority to bring eXpendi-
lures somewhere into line with IN
come.
Secondly, the proposal to tax un-
distributed profits will be fought. the
feeling being that it is preferable
if the new taxes are needed-to boost
the rates on corporate income. which
now averages around Is per cent. This
simply would be a reiteration of the
stand of the chamber as outlined at
House tax hearings by Fred H. Cuasen,
Horizon (Wis.) manufacturer, who
heads the chamber Committee on Tax
alton.
Await Sibley's Address.
A great deal of interest Will attach
to President Sibley's opening address,
although the tenor will not of neces-
sity sound the keynote for the meet
ing Sibley, a one-time classmate Of
President Roosevelt, has been one OF
the sharpest critics of the administra-
ton and in recent radio talk bitterly
assailed what he termed the ham
stringing of business by Government.
referred to the forthcoming election
and added significantly:
Business must serve notice once
and for all that it will not again
be the sparrow which meekly sub
mits to being picked to death by the
political crows"
Along with the subject of taxa
ton, the chamber is expected also to
give grave thought to the problem
Of putting the vast army of the idle
back to work, particularly in view of
President Roosevelt's insistence that
business do more along this line.
Particular attention will be given
to the question of unemployment.
with the purpose of reaching conclu-
sions as to what business itself can
do, and as to what are the effects
of handicaps imposed by legislation
and by regulatory authority" the
chamber said in a program outline.
Faced With Internal War.
The chamber this year Is con-
fronted with a merry little internal
war, as the result of widely divergent
views of its own membership on pend
ing chain store legislation. On the
one hand it is being importuned by
independents to support laws that
would curb the chains, while on the
other the chain interests want the
proposed laws fought.
The issue is expected to come to a
head at a round-table conference at
the Mayf1ower at l o'clock luncheon
Wednesday. The presiding of1cer
there will be Silas Strawn, one OF the
conservative leaders of the chamber
who recently jumped into the fight
on the Senate Lobby Committee by
seeking to enjoin the widespread seiz-
ure of kilograms.
The completed program OF the con-
vention contained q surprise IN the
listing of speeches at plenary sessions
by Secretary of State Hull and Sec
retary of Commerce Roper, there hav-
ing been a definite movement at one
time not to have any administration
leaders take a principal part in the
meeting. Roper will speak on en-
ployment at the opening session, and
Hull on foreign trade at the close.
Council To Meet.
The preliminary sessions tomorrow
will include a luncheon and afternoon
meeting by the National Council, and
dinner at 7::30 at the Maynower by
the American section Of the inter-
national chamber. Robert Lincoln
O'Brien, chairman Of the Tariff Com
mission, will be a dinner speaker.
The council will nominate directors
and make awards in the 1885 fire
waste contest and city and rural
health conservation contest. The
presentation in the latter will be Dy
DR.. Thomas Parran, jr, new surgeon
general, Public Health Service.
Oficers will be elected at the con-
clusion of the convention, as usual
with Sibley due to be returned to the
presidency for q second term.