Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-02-23

satisfaction that could attend very few
incidents in state affairs.
THE Michigan Tradesman of February
18th, under the head 1.-THE Public Wei
fare" had the following to say of the
benefits of local organization:
All over Michigan Boards of Trade
or other similar associations are being
formed for the purpose of promoting
the general business interests of the
certain community in which each
organization is effected. This is good
thing for many reasons, provided only
that the general business interests are
truly the governing influence; but in a
majority of those cases where semi
public service bodies have been born,
nursed, caressed, cussed and died the
cause of the failure has been that the
sole object worked for was the securing
of new industries. "Get factories, we
want factories" has been the cry which
has not only prevented the getting of
desirable industrial concerns, but has
caused the utter ignoring of the other
equally valuable acquisitions possible
in the hands of truly public spirited
and unselfish Board of Trade.
AS a rule, the aspect first presented
to a stranger business man as he alights
from the cars in the average city or
village in Michigan is, with its dilapi-
dated buildings, unkept fences, back
yard views and billboard decorations.
most uninviting and at once the I'M
known visitor receives an unwelcome,
unfair and unnecessary first impression.
A public welfare organization properly
conducted and supported can abolish
every such fault in its home town in
short order and at a nominal expense.
In nearly every city and village there
are i'll kept streets and dangerous side
walks which confront not only the
stranger but the people of the town, and
sometimes to the cost of the village
board or the city council Such faults
may be obliterated by a properly sup
ported nome organization.
There is not mayor, postmaster or
a village president in Michigan that is
not regularly the recipient Of letters OF
enquiry for statistics or in relation to
particular resources-industrial com
mercial or financial and a properly
supported Board of Trade can furnish
such information on call More than
that, such board can in turn, become
the enquirer and by correspondence can,
as a rule, find ont with tolerable accu-
racy whether certain proposition is or
is not worth striving after
There are many other opportunities
to do good. Unfortunate conditions
may exist as to mail service, freight and
passenger conditions highways leading
into town; and dozen and one other
really desirable objects which would be
of unquestionable value to a town
might be accomplished through the
medium of properly supported board
OF commerce or whatever it NAV be
called.
What is meant by properly sup
ported organization? 1t means that the
members must not only pay their dues
and permit their names to appear on the
membership list, but they must bury
their little jealousies and personal OBJ
jections; they must associate at COM
mittee meetings with competitors in
business and possibly with men they
know very slightly and dislike most
cordially. They must get better ac-
quainted with such people, strive to do
better themselves and so help others to
do better. In this way community
becomes thoroughly acquainted with
itself and finds out it is a good sort
after all. In this way and in this way
only can be secured the harmony and
the unity of action that are an absolute
first essential for the board of trade. the
board of commerce, the commercial club
or the citizens association that is to be
a success.