The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-01-25
WHAT NORFOLK CAN DO.

WHAT NORFOLK CAN DO.
A number OF prominent citizens of
Norfolk have frequently stated during
the past few months that, after all
there isn't much that Commercial
club can really do in Norfolk" We
believe that there Is enough opportu-
nifty in Norfolk to keep a Commercial
club, through one man as agent, busy
all the time. Some cities have drifted
and been content with natural growth.
Other cities have assumed an aggres-
sive attitude and have pumped growth
into their communities which would
not otherwise have developed unsolic-
tied for years and years. If it pays
for a wholesale house to keep men on
the road seeking orders to increase
the business, instead of merely filling
orders that naturally come in; If it
pays merchant to advertise his ar
ticles for sale and push the trade, in
stead of merely selling to customers
who drift in because they pass by the
door; If it pays railroad to main
tain a commercial agency in small
city to work up business instead of
merely handling the business that
comes unsought; If it pays in any line
of constructive industry under mod
ern conditions to be wide awake and
aggressive and to be alert to take ad-
vantage of various opportunities which
offer and then, unaccepted, vanish
then it will pay Norfolk or any other
city, in dollars and cents, to support
and maintain an active, aggressive
commercial club.
President Roosevelt has accom-
plished much that was never done be-
fore; the opportunities have always
been at hand. He has achieved all
that he has done, by his aggressive
ness. Kansas City started out under
handicap from Omaha. Kansas City
has forged to the front and outclassed
Omaha. Kansas City has taken the
aggressive. Lincoln during the past
two years has become vitality i'm
portant commercial center. 1t was
formerly college and church town
During the past two years it has been
literally aggressive. Sioux City bust
ness men of today recall the time not
so very long ago when that town was
no larger than Norfolk and when
stores were not so good. 1t YVES not
long ago that the Sioux City Journal
twaS a four-page newspaper. Today
Sioux City is one of the most active
result of aggressiveness. Just this
week the Northwestern railroad com
pany has issued $4,000 booklets de
scribing Sioux City in tlattering terms
That's the spirit that has made Sioux
City.
Nations and industries and men anG
cities who wage war on obstacles, are
the victors under present conditions
Those that are merely passive fade
into the background.
Prominent citizens of Norfolk have
frequently remarked that there is
really little that a commercial club
can do" The News takes exception
to the sentiment, and the burden OF
proof rests upon The News. AS 6
suggestion, a few things that an &C
tive commercial club could do for Nor
folk are here set forth:
An active commercial club in Nor
J folk could have planned months ago
and could plan every legislative yeal
in advance OF the session. for a cam
paign to set before the state legislat
ors in true light the needs of the Nor
folk hospital for the insane. To dem
, onstrate to the legislature what the
institution needs would result in much
larger appropriations, and more just
ones, than can be had by assuming g
passive attitude and allowing the leg
islators to make a record for economy
at the expense of the Norfolk institu
ton. No action of this kind was taker
this year and not a question was
asked of DR.. Young by Norfolk as tc
what this city could do to help the in
An active commercial club in Nor
folk could have planned weeks ago
and could plan every year, for cam
paign to demonstrate to congress and
other Washington officials the needs
not only of Norfolk but of northern
Nebraska. Any seed that Norfolk car
SOW by aiding any town in north Ne
braska will grow up into healthy
plants. 1t would pay. II would have
been to Norfolk's advantage if this city
had taken hand in the proposed new
judiciary division bill long before il
reached the Introductory period in
congress, as is shown by the danger
now confronting us of losing the des
ignation as a federal court point. Per
haps not such important matters will
come up in a congressional way each
year. but it is safe TO say that there
could be effective work of some sort
done each year for Norfolk in this di