Arizona republican., 1897-11-11
OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.


 their rooms in the Hotel Adams cn Monday, November 15, at 7:30 D. m.. at which time a board of directors will be elected for the ensuing year.
 J. c. SPANGLER, Secra. .aTy
 Were it not for this simple an- nouncement but few people in Phoe- nix would know that the chamber of commerce of this city was still in existence. 1t is true that this orga- products of the Salt River valley; also a secretary, who gets the mu- nificeht salary of S35 per month and all he can make on the outside. Aside from these two exhibits, which should be marked "A'' and "B' for proper identification, there is little to indicate that Phoenix is still blessed with a commercial organization tof any kind.
 About a year ago the chamber of era of economy. It .clected a president, blameless as to char acter, but who was in no way identified with the bus ness interests of Phoenix. The other off cers of the organization and the board of directors were of the same ma terial as the president. A cheap sec retary was chosen who, in addition to his salary, was permitted to rus tle'' in order to properly maintain his Tbo hot the secretary looked out for himself first. He "rustled'' insurance, and in cidentally subscriptions to the cham Der. The rank and file of Phoenix business men, already disgusted with the turn of affairs, withdrew their membership from the organization to a large extent. But this did not check the course of economy in it's mad career. Whenever the chamber of commerce needed any printed ai- of the various printing establish menHs of the city. Then an average was taken of all the bids and the wo.k distributed among the. bidders at beggarly rates. There were other trans actions of this character.
 All these things have com bined to noIu only lessen the membership of the chamber, but have produced a condition of apathy that is dangerous lo the f1,- ture of Phoenix. But it Is never too late to mend. Next Monday nigat the remnant of the chamber Of commerce meets to choose directors for ,te e1- suing year. Every business man in Phoenix and every citizen who is ln- terested i'm the welfare of the ely should be present. They should see to it that none but live business men are chosen as officers of the oxganiza- tfon. These offices should be instruct- ed to select a secretary of marked business ability and experience, a man in whom the community has con- fdence and upon whom strangers can rely. Such secretary cannot be se- cured except at a good salary. He should be paid not less than s1,5OO per year. Steps should immediately bel taken to- produce a fund with which to pay such man and also to adver- tise our incomparable winter climate and other resources in the eastern magazines. Such an investment would be productive of immediate re- turns and the funds could be easily secured with a revival of confidence in the chamber of commerce. Be- sides climate, Phoenix and vicin- investors. The establishment h=re of smelting plant, tannery, beet sugar factory, fruit packing house and modern theaIter would not only be paying investments to the owners, but would more thar double our popula- tion in a few years. The facilities for all these industries do not need to be created, but are alt hand. It only re- quires we'll directed energy to bring each and all of them into being. The beneficial results to accrue therafrom cannot be calculated
 When the boom 1ef1 Los Angeles apparently broken in spirit and finan- cially exhausted, the citizens of thaIt city did not adopt a system of econ omy. They stood together and many even mortgaged their homes to adver- tise Los Angeles and southern Cali fornia. The result need not be com mented upon. This city and terri tory need only to be brought prop erly to the notice of investors and home seekers to achieve all that Los Angeles and southern California have achieved. The responsibil- ity of our future all rests them be true to the name of their city and create a new chamber of comm cree from the ashes of the old