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408 data should be reduced to a compact form for ready reference in order that tangible facts may be at hand for instant use in influencing pro- spective manufacturers. In this work the publicity department operate in spreading the facts broad cast, and in sending delegations oi business men to different places where closer trade relations could be built up. Extending Foreign Trade Every year the importance of .ex- tending foreign trade is- being real- ized by manufacturers with greater force. At the present rate of domes- tic consumption factories must curtail their output or remain idle part of the time. The nation that has a large foreign trade can readily discount lo- cal business disturbances. In captur- ing foreign markets the foreign trade bureaus, if such should be established by the verious commercial organi- zations throughout the country, could render invaluable service. The Pub- licity Bureau can co-operate to ad- vantage by sending literature trans- lated into various languages to dif- ferent countries, advertising the city's industries, while the foreign trade bu- reau itself should confine its -work to studying the needs of foreign mar- kets, and keeping manufacturers in- formed as to posstbilities for getting foreign trade. In the handling of subjects that come before the congress, the state legislature or the municipal adminis- tration, the best interests of a com- munity can be served only through a 'representative organization that has the united support of at least the larger portion of the merchants and manufacturers and of all those who have the progress of the municipality at heart. In a number of our large cities at the present time an unfortunate con- dition exists through a state of con- fusion which has arisen because of a multiplicity of trade and commercial organizations. Each has been formed for a specific purpose and in all prob- ability good work has been done. They begin taking action upon gen- eral questions but unfortunately views directly opposite are reached in many cases; the efforts of the community toward accomplishing a desired ob- ject are divided and the congress, the legislature, the railroad officials, or whatever body may be petitioned naturally concludes that the commu- nity has no definite understanding of its requirements so that for this rea- son worthy and important projects tending to the city's progress are not consummated. Let me again allude to conditions TtIst- "CO THE MARINE REVIEW existing in Philadelphia, so far as they relate to two of the largest and most influential organizations in that city. In 1833 there was founded the Board of Trade, and for 50 years thereafter it ministered to the com- mercial wants of the community in , But in 1891 there' admirable manner. arose a demand 'for a more active protection of trade interests. The business community realizing that merchants traveling to the north or east from points south and _ west, should have the privilege of stopping over in Philadelphia if they so. de- sired, without forfeiting the rights of through tickets, the Board of Trade was appealed to; it placed the matter kefore the railway authorities who flatly denied the demand. Then it was that some five and twenty men, earnest in their endeavor to obtain a reversal of the decision, formed a new organization called the Trades League, with dues twice the amount paid annually to the older one. In a few months it had a large following Every year the importance of ex- tending foreign trade is being real- ised by manufacturers with greater force. At the -present rate of domestic consumption factories must curtail their output or remain idle part of the time.. The nation that has a large foreign trade can readily discount local business dis- turbances. In capturing foreign markets the foreign trade bureaus, if such should be established by the various commercial organiza- tions throughout the country, could render invaluable service. and upon presentation of the question of stop-over privileges, the railroad officials granted the right, which has since been continued under _ proper restrictions and regulations, which the holders of tickets have willingly ac- cepted. ' The new organization is now known as the "Chamber of Commerce": it has. had success in most of its en- deavors. Its annual expenditure for commercial purposes is generous, and yet it has accumulated a_ principal fund of nearly $80,000. As might be inferred, there has been a feeling of hesitancy on the part of the older body to fail in line with the policy of the newer one, hence the outcome of the project for a merger has not met with an enthusiastic response. This project came about in the following manner: A member of the board of directors. of the Chamber of Com- merce was elected a member of the executive council of the Board of Trade, but declined to accept the dual them November, 1914 office until assured that it was entire- ly approved by the members of both bodies. It is true that this is a form of interlocking directorate, not now meeting with popular approval, and in fact in 1913 the member referred to noting the fact that he was "per- " sona non grata" to the officers of the Hoard of Trade on account' of - his earnest advocacy of the merger, re- signed from the latter executive coun- ci But to return: After his acceptance of office, and serving on a number of committees of the two bodies, it became appar- ent .that much of the work accom- plished was done in duplicate, and whilst the expense was doubled the results were weakened, since it fre- quently happened that the conclusions of a committee of the one body would differ from those of the other, and when presented to a railway corpora- t10n Or 10° a committee of city' or state. government the. cause of the citizens was not benefited. It occurred. to this' dual member. to call the -attention of the larger organization to this condition, hence -an informal gathering of the directors took place. The matter was discussed and subsequently at a formal meeting of the directors a committee was ap- pointed with authority to confer with other organizations with a view to a merger. From time immemorial there have been men in organizations aware of conditions that should be changed, either lacking the vitality or the op- portunity to carry into effect their recognition of wrongs to be righted, unt tally a strong. man, full of enercy, seizes the correct---the psy- chological moment--as it is the pres- ent fashion to term it, and success follows; so that after a year or two of sparring there arose the man of the hour, Alba B. Johnson, president of the Baldwin Locomotive Works. He became deeply impressed with the advantages to accrue to a commercial community that could consolidate and center its influence. More resolutions and more committees have followed; at the moment the Chamber of Com- merce has the matter well in hand since Mr. Johnson, still holding his place on the executive council of the Board of Trade, has been elected to the directorate of the former body, and there is every prospect of an early realization of our hopes. Freight Bureau Despite difficulties that have con- fronted it because of confusion that has arisen through action taken by the various organizations (many of local clubs) the Philadelphia a Si Bh as Si aes,