Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-04-04

lhe board OF trade is 4 modern
idea. It grew out of modern conditions.
Rome was pretty near the whole thing
i'll ancient days and didn't need IA corl-
mercial club to push i, along. 1t had no
competitors to speak Of. But that was
Rome. Italy--at any rate, what is now
called Italy.
AS to Rome, Ca, and Paris, Tex, and
New London, Mo-, the case is quite
different. These towns and all other
towns on the map have competitors to
buru, competitors to compete with. If
they simply drag along to the tail end OF
the cart of progress, they wont amount
to much. Each town must work out its
own salvation.
The board Of trade is ore means Of
town salvation. This organization is
made up of the business men in the com.
munity. The banker is in it and the
butcher, the baker and the candle. stick
maker. The merchants and professional
men are in it, Everybody ought to be
III u lildt IIhS IL IutCiCSlo Vi lHC NOlh
munity at heart.
During the past few years the town
board of trade or commercial club has
developed surprisingly. Nowadays there
are many towns of less than a thousand
population, particularly in the middle
west and the far west, which have active
boards of trade. There can be no denial
of the COOL these organizations do.
When properly conducted, as most of
them are, they not only develop a more
~neighborly and friendly feeling among
the members themselves, which always
helps a town, but they reach out and
draw others into the fold. They are
really boards of public promotion.
The most important officer in the board
of trade is not necessarily the president.
Usually it is the secretary, and for this
Office a wise board of trade selects a man
still Young enough to be enthusiastic for
progress and lively enough to jump at a
chance when he sees it coming up the
road. In additi III to this, he should have
enough life in him to chase around the
bend in the road and look for o%pportunit-
les that may be lurking somewhere just
waiting to have somebody turn them up
for the benefit of the town.
Blu it is by no means wise to depend
altogether upon Your secretary or pres.
idcrt. The official, can do little with
out general % operation, If a few men
balk and pull back, the team cant pull
forward as it should. One or two NAL
Of trade or a commercial club can do
more harm than a whole nest Of hornets
Harmony aud activity are the prime es.
s~entials.
Every town should have its board OF
trade. There are many ways i'll which,
the common interests may ne advanced
by organized effort. Let the board agree
upon some definite plan of campaign
whether it be the locating of a shoe fac
tory or the promotion of a residence sec.
ton, and then get down to solid work
You cant can do anything worth dom,
if you cg i'll and hustle. You can't dc
anything worth doing unless you do
That 5 self evident.
The new western and southern town
know the valne of the local board o
trade 80 a town booming proposition
Many easteii own might profit 10y thei
example, and there are Older towus il
the west and south which could slough
oif a lot Of their dry rot aud perk NJ
spazingly if only somebody would get t
work aud organize the business and PRO
fessional men. for mutual defepse and adj
vgncement,
$ A lively board of trade Or club. 70
e .owu promotion is one Of the s,,rest sign
5 that q tow is alive. American fress.
We are told that Versailles has a Com
: ,ss.e al Club that will do something TO
thu city Jus, As y q ssihe sign is right.