Commercial Cleveland Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1848 as the Board of Trade of the City of Cleve land and was reorganized in 1893 as The Cleve land Chamber of Commerce. Since 1899 it has occupied its own building in the northeast cor ner of the Public Square. The Chamber has become famous for its activity along civic lines, closely identified with all important civic move ments. It initiated the Group Plan for Cleve land public buildings, the Welfare Federation of Cleveland and the new tenement-house code. Throughout theyear speakers of national repu tation address Tuesday luncheon meetings of the membership. The organization's facilities include a large auditorium with a seating ca pacity of 1,000, a club, restaurant and a com modious library. There is a Manufacturers' and Wholesale Merchants' Board, a Convention Board, a Retail Merchants' Board, an Associa tion of Women's Wear Manufacturers and a Traffic Bureau maintained in connection with the Cleveland chamber.
War With the entrance of the United States into the world war Cleveland became one of the most important munitions and war accessories centres in the country. Al most since the beginning of the war Cleveland industries have been actively engaged in the manufacture of war materials for the Allied governments. When the United States became an active participant Cleveland industries at once began to organize so that they might give the government the most efficient co-operation. A war industries commission, organized by the Chamber of Commerce, made a complete survey of Cleveland's industries, so that govern ment contracts could be handled without loss of time and in a manner calculated to give the government the best possible industrial service. This survey includes equipment of plants, ca pacity, material it can produce, number of workmen and other data which shows at once in what quantity and at what speed any needed war materials can be turned out either in part or as a whole. Cleveland now is manufacturing practically every war necessity from uniforms to tanks and transports. The big plant and laboratories of The National Electric Lamp Association at Nela Park have been turned over for government research work.
The Housing Cleveland, like other large industrial centres, early in the war faced the problem of caring for tens of thou sands of workers, permanent and °floating," attracted to the city 'by increased wages, im proved working conditions and the expansion of industry. Early in the fall of 1917 a survey made by the Chamber of Commerce showed that there was urgent need for at least 10,000 homes which could be sold at around $3,500 on easy payments and rental properties which would bring from $18 to $30 per month. The cor poration known as The Cleveland Real Estate and Housing Company was organized by a num ber of the city's leading business men and social workers. While this company is not a phi lanthropy its incorporators will handle the housing problem at a minimum expense and with minimum profits. One of the prob lems that this organization will work toward solving will be providi. : proper accommoda tions for more than 15,f i i negroes.
Foreign The foreign trade depart ment of the Chamber of Commerce, since its organization early in 1915 as a co-operative branch of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the Department of C,ointherce, co operated in an unofficial capacity with the War Trade Board at Washington, in assisting and advising Cleveland exporters and importers with respect to Trading with the Enemy and the Exports Control acts.
City The city of Cleveland is governed under a charter prepared and pro posed by a charter commission at a popular election on Tuesday, 1 July 1913. In order to get a comprehensive grasp of the more im portant provisions of the Cleveland government the following brief outline may be of assistance: Party are eliminated, candidates for municipal office being nominated by petition only. The short ballot principle has been care fully observed. At each election the voter is called upon to express his choice for only two officials— the mayor and the council from his ward. The recall is provided for city officials upon a petition signed by 15,000 electors in case of officials elected at large and 600 electors in case of officials elected from wards. The char ter provides for a council of 26 members elected from wards for a term of two years, the sal aries to be fixed by the outgoing council and its functions limited to legislation. The mayor and heads of departments have seats in the council with the right to take part in discussions, but without a right to vote. A proposed ordinance may be placed before the council by an initiative petition signed by 5,000 electors. If not passed by the council it must be submitted to the voters at the next regular election, or an addi tional petition containing the signatures of 5,000 additional electors will compel its submis sion to a vote of the people at a special elec tion. If a majority of those voting thereon vote in favor of the proposal it thereby becomes an ordinance. A petition of 10 per cent of the total vote of the last municipal election will compel the submission of an ordinance to a vote of the people. The mayor is elected for a term of two years and responsibility is defi nitely fixed on him for the proper administra tion of the affairs of the city. The adminis trative functions are divided among seven departments with a director at the head of each appointed by the mayor. These are the de partment of law ; department of public service; department of parks and public property; department of public welfare, having to do with health, charities, recreation, research and publicity and employment; the department of public safety, including the divisions of police, fire, buildings, housing inspection and weights and measures; the department of finance, em bracing the divisions of accounts, treasury, as sessments and licenses, and the division of pub lic utilities for the supervision of water, light and heat. Appropriate functions are either assigned to these divisions in the charter or the power is given to the council to so assign by ordinance. A civil service commission is also provided for. It was the belief of the commission in presenting this charter to the voters that it would provide a simplified election system, definitely fix the responsibility upon adtninistrative officers, secure an adequate ac counting system, conserve the rights of the city in matters relating to franchises, provide a merit system in the appointment of public officers and furnish Cleveland with a far better form of government than under the former plan. A preferential plan of elections provides for first and second choice ballot, and if no candidate shall receive a iriajority of the first choice votes, then the second-choice votes re ceived by such candidate shall be added to the first-chotce votes and the candidate receiving the largest number of first and second-choice votes combined, if such constitute a majority, shall be elected.