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and not of any section. With that largely in mind, the Committee of Eleven adopted the following resolution:

Resolved, That a sub-committee of five be appointed by the chairman of the committee (the chairman of which shall be the chairman of the committee), to prepare and submit to the full committee within sixty days a plan for its betterment and enlargement, and that the report of this committee to the present convention be one of progress only.

We feel that when the National Board of Trade appointed this Committee of Eleven it was with the intention on the part of the membership to support it in every way possible by suggestions and actions. We feel that we occupy a position of very great responsibility and it is believed that a final report will be made, either to the council or to the Board itself, that will indicate some advance to be made on the part of the National Board of Trade, and for the purpose of accomplishing that advance in some way, on behalf of the Sub-Committee of Five, especially, I wish to ask the gentlemen present and all other members of the National Board of Trade who have any suggestions that they believe will be practicable, to send them to this sub-committee, of which I have the honor to be Chairman, to my address in New York. I will bring those suggestions to the attention of the sub-committee and subsequently to the attention of the Committee of Eleven.

The PRESIDENT.-Mr. TRUESDELL's remarks will be spread upon the record as a report of progress.

Are there any other resolutions to be offered?

Mr. MAXWELL, of Chicago.-Mr. President, I have two motions I desire to submit to the convention, and they are very closely related. One grows out of the report of the Committee on the Extension of Influence of the National Board of Trade. As I understand that report, it is only a progress report. As the convention will adjourn to meet a year hence, it will not be possible to take action upon the report of that committee until the next annual meeting of this organization. It seems to me, Mr. President, that it would be somewhat unfortunate if we should adjourn at

this time with the idea of suspending all operations for a year looking toward the development and growth of the influence and membership of the Board.

I have this morning read with considerable care the Constitution of this organization, and although it is more than probable that amendments may be made which will greatly improve it, I am convinced that this is the psychological moment to endeavor to secure, during the period between now and the next annual meeting, a very large development in its membership and influence without any change whatever of its Constitution being necessary to that end.

For that reason I now move that it is the sense of this meeting that, pending action upon the report of the Committee on the Extension of Influence, everything should be done by the organization and its officers to extend its membership and influence. In other words, that during the coming year we shall be a going concern and as active as may be possible to make it.

Mr. HITCHCOCK, of Scranton.-You do not submit any amendment?

Mr. MAXWELL.-I have not gone into those details, because I suppose they will come before the council.

Mr. HITCHCOCK.-The Committee on Extension of Influence and Membership must make a report within sixty days.

Mr. MAXWELL.-They will make it to the council, and then at the next annual meeting we shall be in full possession of all that is stated in that report to the council and perhaps have the additional advantage of some report or recommendation on the subject from the council itself.

The motion was agreed to.

NEXT ANNUAL MEETING.

Mr. LOGAN, of Pittsburg.-I trust the Chair will permit me to say a word in the direction of what appears to me to be a subject that may perhaps increase the interest of

and attendance at the meetings of the National Board. I do not think there is any doubt about the wisdom of the conclusions presented to the Board at its meetings, but after we have arrived at those conclusions we must back them with the force of numbers and interest in order that the legislators and members of Congress may be induced to promote the subjects that we believe in and have indorsed.

I have, Mr. President, to make a suggestion which I believe would add to the interest of these meetings and think my suggestion should at least meet with a trial, although I understand it has been suggested already that we hold our next convention at some other city than the city of Washington. As I read the rules, the matter of deciding the location of the next annual meeting is in the council, and, I suppose, in the absence of their meeting, in the Board of Managers. But the Board of Managers considered whether it would not be beneficial to the association at least to try holding one annual meeting at some other point.

I want to say to you, Mr. President, that if we proceed on the lines suggested, of selecting another city than Washington, the Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburg will extend to you an invitation to hold your next meeting in Pittsburg at a time, of course, to suit your convenience and wisdom. Pittsburg is a point that can be easily reached by a greater number of lines of travel than Washington; a railroad ride of one night or less brings you to Pittsburg from a great many commercial centres, and it would be a very interesting place for manufacturers and merchants to visit, as we are a great producing centre. We have many things of interest that can be seen by taking a little time from your deliberations.

I make that suggestion, Mr. President, not caring to make any motion. I make the suggestion that the Board of Managers consider the wisdom of holding a meeting at some other point than Washington. [Applause.]

The PRESIDENT.-The Board, of course, feels very much flattered upon receiving this very kind invitation from Col. LOGAN. The matter will be referred to the counci!.

DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE.

The PRESIDENT.-The Chair recognizes Hon. WM. HARRIS DOUGLAS, our Second Vice-President.

Mr. DOUGLAS, of New York.-Mr. President and gentlemen, in the absence of Mr. FISH, who is the Chairman of the Committee on Diplomatic and Consular Service, to prepare resolutions to submit to the Board, I have been requested to present for your consideration the following report:

The importance and value, to our commercial interests, of an efficient and well-equipped Consular Department is yearly becoming more and more pronounced, and we stronly urge upon Congress the necessity of passing such additional legislation as will keep this service at the highest possible standard of usefulness.

We consider political influence should be entirely eliminated in securing the necessary employees for this branch of Government work. We endorse the recommendations passed last year advocating the opening of special classes in our leading universities for the careful education of young men desiring to enter the diplomatic and consular service, the graduates to be safeguarded by receiving a diploma entitling them to register their names at the State Department, and the Government securing by examination a fair percentage of the men required for the services named from such list; names to be taken in the order of registration.

Resolved, That the National Board of Trade approve the general principles for the improvement of the consular and diplomatic service as stated in H. R. Bill 31,170.

WM. HARRIS DOUGLAS,
G. WALDO SMITH,
LOUIS MULLER.

The members of this National Board of Trade who have attended its meetings many years are thoroughly conversant with the deep interest we have always taken in the consular service. From the start we have realized the necessity and desirability of elevating that service and we have recognized the importance of eliminating, as far as possible, all political preferment and having the merit system recognized by the Government. At various times this Board has passed resolutions approving suggestions made by others, and we have

also advanced arguments and views ourselves on this important subject.

Those who attended the last two sessions will remember that there was considerable discussion with reference to the desirability of the Government using the universities of the country for that purpose to an appreciable extent, and last year we passed a resolution which really embodied the idea that all of the employees in the consular service should be taken, by examination, from the colleges. I have had some considerable correspondence with the State Department during the past year in reference to that important point, in accordance with the privilege conceded to me at the last session of this Board. I will not read that correspondence. but will ask permission to file one or two letters that pertain especially to points of interest which I think the convention will be glad to have placed on record.

I will say, however, that there were two objections which were advanced by the Department, which might preclude the idea we have that all those young men could be taken from the universities, and that was the question of geographical conditions. But I take it that, as in the past, so probably it will be in the future, that the young men in college come from various sections of the country and each State will demand that it should have a fair, pro rata number of young men in that service.

The other objection was this: the Secretary of State seemed to think that if we took all the young men from the colleges that course would embarrass the Department to some extent by reason of the fact that these men, while they would be trained in the Department itself, would not have that educational experience in a commercial way which seem desirable and necessary.

Under these circumstances, and recognizing the wisdom. of the objections raised by the State Department, you will notice that in the resolution we present this year we have said that we hoped that the State Department would take a fair percentage of young men from the colleges. To that extent the Department is willing to go, and the universities

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