New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1902-12-27


Union; but the middle West and the South |
have been tremendously benefited through |
the work of commercial bodies which have |
been organized exactly like your Progress
sive League.
One of the greatest difficulties to be
overcome..in the older communities is the
habit of the average business man Offering,
as an excuse to be relieved from public
duty of a patriotic nature, that Gle Is too
busy" Another excuse frequently offered
in the South is: II will subscribe, but |
will not solicit subscriptions, nor will |
serve upon Committee and the same
difficulties that will have to be overcome
in New Iberia, in order to bring about the
very best results, exist in New Orleans,
and in every other large and small city
throughout the South
If ten strong, active business men and
property holders, who have the confidence
Of this community, will agree to give two
hours time for one evening each week for
term of six months and pledge them
selves that they will allow no other en-
gagement to interfere with their attending
such a meeting, manufacturing PROPOSE
tons, business proposals and other matters
Of Importance would be put before such
body OF men which if successfully carried
out would result in doubling the population
of your enterprising City within a period
of five years, and more than double the
value of the personal and organized wealth
of this community.
| realize that such a committee would be
bored on many occasions through the pre-
seutation of impractical schemes; that the
inventors and owners of various patents
would take up the time of such Commit
rhay,
they would be disheartened and almost
discouraged; but, out of this chatf they
would select the pure grain, and the result
would be beneficial to tho community and
right now wish to say to you that this is
the plain common sense plan upon which
many cities of this country have become
important manufacturing centers.
Let US take as ar example some of the
things that have been accomplished
through the patriotic work of several mem.
| bcrs ofthe New Orleans Progressive Union.
In April of this year, the National Asso
citation of Manufacturers held a convention
at indianapolis, Ind. 1t had been planned
by some OF the leaders of that body to
meet at Pittsburg in 1903, and the State of
Pennsylvania sent magnificent delega
ton to the indianapolis convention, and
some of the manufacturers of Philadelphia
were so kind as to give New Orleans I'M
asked advance advise that they would
waste their money and lots of their time
by coming to Indianapolis to secure a
meeting of this body for the Crescent
City.
WITHOUT attempting to compliment my
home City, | am proud to say that we
were better organized than either Pitts
burg or Philadelphia, and with defeat
staring us in the face, we went to Indian
apolis and won most signal victory, and
believe the meeting of that great indus
trial body in the metropolis of the South
will be the most important industrial gath
ering ever held in the United States.
The delegation that went from New Or
leans paid its expenses, either personally
or from subscriptions made by enterprisng
business men, and those who went were
not only out of pocket, but made a sacr
fee of valuable time, and this is necessary
to win success.
Out Of the organization that has been
made in New Orleans, in the name of the |
New Orleans Progressive Union, other
great conventions have been secured. The |
famous trip of the New Orleans business
men, through the States of Louisiana and
Texas was accomplished, and although we
did not stop at your beautiful City Of New
Iberia, where we all know we would have
had hearty welcome, feel certain that |
you were proud OF New Orleans, and as
heartily wished the enterprise success as
though you were residents of the metrop-
oils.
Now, want to say to you that the Pro-
gressive Union, as an organization, made
this trip possible, and, that the in
dIviduals who composed the party made
the trip at their own expense, assisted by
few outside subscriptions, just as was
the case in the visit to Indianapolis.
One of the effective things in organi
cation is that it gives community an
opportunity to act on many occasions
when that action would be wanting with
out this consolidation of varied in
terests.
Don't you know that it has been n
great advertisement for New Orleans and
Louisiana, and, in fact, the whole South,
for US to put up the claim that we had a
popular commercial body with larger
membership than any other similar or
ganization in the United States. The
very fact that this is true has attracted an
enormous amount of attention to New
Orleans, and the direct advertisement she
has received as a result OF this great mem
bership has been worth many times more
than all the cost in money and the great
amount of personal effort the active mem
bers OF the organization have made.
Are you aware that an active popular
body builds up home pride in the com
munity, and constantly encourages the
citizen in saying good rather than evil of
his home.
l would not be surprised that during the
past year, many letters have been received
inquiring about New Iberia, which have
never been answered for the simple
reason that those who received them were
too busy to give them attention, or they
were not referred to the active paid
officer of a commercial league to be an
swered. '
One OF the drawbacks of commercial .
bodies, throughout the length and breadth s,
of orr land, is that communities often
depend too much upon the advice of some {
one man, and frequently that one man is !
a local banker or capitalist who prefers !
that the surplus money deposited in his
bank or his vaults rather than it be in
vested in manufacturing or other enter {
prises which would stop, or at least lessen, c
his interest account. J
Do not get the idea that any man is :
necessary to the success of New Iberia. 1
Ii you find that certain oss-backs will 1
neither give nor work, do not compliment /
them by abusing them, and do not listen l
to the man who makes the excuse that he
give because Jones, Smith or :.
Brown have not given certain amount {
If the public pulse of New Iberia is +
by certain ultra conservative r
men, first try to enlist their cooperation, :,
for it as true in the success of COM
mercial body as in anything else, "tbat (
sugar catches more flies than vinegar. c
But because yon have opposition and lack +
Of support, do not be discouraged. :
We have many valuable men in all call
ngs Of life, in every part of the United Q
States, but there are none living who are v
greater than those who have gone before /
and there is not an individual on earth
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