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Show NewYorkVealth Aids I U. S, Commerce Body I Subscribes More Than a Million to Great Building Projected for Country's Business Busi-ness Interests at Washington NEW York business men aro looking forward to the lime soon when they will have a home of their own In il e national capital. Word has come to New York's business organizations thaj the site upon Which this national home for business Is to be erected has Just been completely paid for from subscriptions so tar received to the huiidinK fund of tho rhamber of Commerce of the United St tic. The proposed pro-posed site, which originally belonged to Daniel Webster, faces Lafayette Square In front of the White House an Ideal location. It was purchased at a cost of $75n 000. The building Itself will add to the archl-lectural archl-lectural beauty of Washington It was de-sigoed de-sigoed by Cass Ullbcrt, the designer of the Woolworth Building In New York, and a inmber of Federal buildings In Washington. Work on the nev structure is to be begun as Piiori as the remaining $2,000,000 necessary or the project is 'paid In A number of eon;munltlcs have already subserlbed their allott: ent. while others are responding handsomely hand-somely to the campaign. New York's Indue tt hrl and business interests, as 6hl rlbutOrs to this fund, will have a part ownership in 'he project A ildf from its contribution to the building fund New York has a strong Interest 'n tSi activities of the National Chamber, because of the rity's Importance as a commercial hi iiUBtrlal and mn nufacturlng centre. The necessity of a national business organization organiza-tion Was long ago realized by New York busl-PCSS, busl-PCSS, :-o much so that many organization of business men have Joined forces with other trade and ommereial organizations in taking out membership in the National 'haml-cr The National tatamber's organisation organi-sation members now number more than l 100 Of these 211 are in the State of New York and 170 in the city In addition to (Jits manifestation of belief in the necessity ;.f a strong national business organization there are 1 C12 Individuals and llrms .n the t-it y holding direct memberships themselves n the National Chamber and 2,105 In the Slate. Founded Eight Year Ago. Like thousand of other progressive busi ness mn inrougnout me coimuv ev ivin members of the Chamber of Commerce have a ptofound interest in the fact that at last American business ; to have a permanent home at the nation's capital. The Chamber of Commerce of the United States, a body founded eight years ago under the handicap handi-cap of discouraging past attempts to organize organ-ize business men nationally, has been unusually un-usually successful. But the leading business men of the country interested In the Chamber Cham-ber of Commerce have realized that not until thee have a Washington home of their OWn a G H. Q of American business, to give tho aspect of material solidity to their organization or-ganization will they be able to exercise i proper constructive influence in national affairs. af-fairs. It was with this purpose in view that the Chamber of Commerce began plans In 1914 for the erection of a building In Washington. bu the war caused ostponement Committees Commit-tees are now fast accumulating the money to pay for this project. $1.400 000 was prom-iv-d by small communities outside of New York and CHtago before the business men of these cities gave a cent. The idea Is to create a nerve centre for r II business, big or little that is affeclej by national affairs it is something that has '.en desperately needed In the past, when the men whoso industries were being ad t ersely affected by ill advised legislation had merely a sporadic representation at Washington. Wash-ington. It was the need of this national representation of qui business Interests which gave birth (o and has given strength tc the Chamber of Commerce of the Unl&yi Stales which, too. is making that body u powerful steadying Influence in the present business chaos. Believed It Will Be a Steadying Influence. This home for business means as mu-h lo the small business man as it does to the largo concern. It will provide for him the cpportunlty to discuss his problems with men who are familiar with all the requirement require-ment of industrial production, domestic distribution, dis-tribution, foreign trade, transportation! finance, insurance aii.d the other fundamental funda-mental activities of business It will bo in part a research agencv, and will show the i if i t 'hat action by nno oepartmeni of the Chamber may have on the- welfare of an-other, an-other, and by conference and compromise it will be possible to nnd a common ground of agreement, even on matters that are controversial con-troversial because they affect difTercntlv the different sections of American business The last year has fairly shown ns that ur problems arc economic and social In ire handlintr of these problems, in so far as cither legislative or executive authority fs concerned, we find that political expedieni jr just as much a factor as in the past. AmerJ an business is more dlre-t affected by the problems which confront It than any lhor single Interest in the country But unwise un-wise legislation and regulation by the c-xeou-inc departments will cause losses of countless count-less millions of dollars and perhaps Jeopardize Jeopar-dize trade both at home and abroad. Eltherw business makes this Investment In a Wash- H inpton headquarters to safeguard business, WE" or l: goo? mto more or less chaotic rondl- ! tlo durln the next few years' legislation g&j The Institution will be truly national Tha itHrd of welcome will be as cordially ex-teioed ex-teioed to the manufaeturer or merchant 'r, m the Pacific or the Gulf, the Southeast, the Northwest as It will to the man from Manhattan or Chleago There will be onlv Rjjjli- one standard natncl what Is for the bene- fll T. of American business as a whole But $Bi the local business man who Is put to It to fit ri a way out of a dilemma which has )W louded his affairs will also And that expert ns. stance will be given to him. And If he wishes to have conferences with tho Gov- nB ei nment officials or with other business men jfU who have a common interest in AN arhlng- &Wti ton there will b a place provided for him, ?&Cp ant everything done to facilitate his conferences confer-ences BraS This business headquarters Ss an investment invest-ment To the business man It will mean un- rajrll told returns In a belter understanding of his HflSj problem. It is the one way to secure har- 8nl monv and understanding that will leai to fcLtf tho fulfilment "f what every American df llfei sires social and Industrial peace and pro3- a3i4f parity for the nation EMS' The United States Wa Lntc. Tho Lilted States was one of the last SBIP eountrles to organize Its business nationally. Br' A little more than eight years ago this coun- try and Turkey were v irtually the only coun- idWfjti tries in the world which had no national J8ffii b. is.ness organization. To-day the Unlred ralllil States Chamber of Commerce is the moc'. 9Ew no vtr'nl of them all. n the last five vears antrd it ha? grown from an association of 65ii in- K c. istrlal and commercial organizations with wHS' &n undeilylng membership of 2S8 327 firms and Indiv iduals to 1 ?,79 org tnlzations w ith a combined membership of 601.3.1S. Besb'. .. ifflfsii rtteSc organizations there are more than ISsS 13.100 firms and individuals holding direct tfl1'! m. mbershlp in the chamber. Jaj Formed for the purpose of encouraging aSlc; tade and commercial enterprise between S?ifa the States and foreign countries, the Na- SJrafl' tional Chamber has consistently worked SBi toward that enil In order to do tins ertec- V; -.': tlvely, it has enoeavored to coordinate Into BctH one strong national body the various civiq, jlv! ominerclal and tmde organizations of the jfe country, and to extend their usefulness It .trives to secure cooperative action In the jvjf. advance of the common purpose of its mem- tp bers. uniformity and equity ,n business ;h96(h usjiges ard laws, and proper consideration 'wr'', ' ard concentration of opinion upon questions jF ' : ' affeetlng the financial, commercial, indus- KsLe liial and civic interests of the nation. J. The National Chamber determines the consensus of opinion of American business through the medium of the referendum. nlrrl hen the Board of Directors of the Na- 4" tlocal Chamber has decided that a question fjj: I:; submitted to it by one of the organization Kj V r i em bers or otherwlso Is a question affect- L'j ;.' Ing American business nationally. It refers tj " tho problem to a committee for Invest)- 11 ' , cation. If this committee, after a careful fff;' s'udy of the subject, finds it important K? enough for a referendum, then Mils Is recorn- jjjty mended The question is then submitted to the organizations which aro constituent n embers of the National Chamber and an ! I V expression of opinion Is asked. The vote rp ;jji n ust b? completed within forty-five days bfc from the date of mal ing. IflfcM' The Chamber neer takes a position hv IS'V reason of a mere majority of votes. It be- S'vS comes formally committed to any proposl- i '" t!on only In accordance with a decided preponderance pre-ponderance of opinion In the votes that are HfcBji. rast To carrv any proposal has to com- jjaWa m.tnd at least two-thirds of tho votes v.hleh are recorded. Through these provl- IBflk (tion the fundamental statutes of the Chim- jKi lr are Intended to give assurance that the organization will advocate only the policies r J and principles which represent the un- jj ; doubted tenets of the sreat body of itj Membership To serve its membership more effectively. . V the departments of the Chamber hive been IrcrcHsd and the whole organization modi- '.r l lierl and supplemented in such a manner that. In addition to tho Department of Re- f- search, Field and Organization Service al" H m le.ely built up and established, the Cham-ber Cham-ber would have department-, paralleling the main divisions of American butlness. One prominent nmmfacturer haying in mind his own particular industry, expressed approval of the plan In these words. "We now have men at Washington who knotV our business and talk our language." 'tu'.!' J Tho departments of the National Cham I er are as follows: Finance, insurance, foreign commerce, civic development, domestic dis- ' j' trihution. fabricated production, nationa' resources re-sources production, transportation and communication. com-munication. The departments of Insurance. 'U;. fabricated production and foreign commerce have already been inaugurated. Adequate provisions have been made to bouse these various departments jn the new building whleh will be a veritable workshop for American business The entire first floor will be given ov er to conference-rooms, m-morial halls and libraries, and an auditorium audi-torium where business men's conventions ill be held. |