The Tupelo journal., 1907-09-13
MAKING A BLUFF
WELL-MEANlNG CITIZENS WHO
WORK ALONG WRONG LINES.
KNOCKING THE HOME TOWN
Her Commercial Clubs Fall In Work
Undertaken for the Improvement
Of Local Conditions.

In a western town not long since a
General Call was issued to citizens to
hold a Meeting for the purpose Of or
ganizing a Business Mems Association,
or as the papers announced, a Com
mercial club. According to the News
paper Reports of the event the meet
ing was a Grand Success, and some 40
names as members. Thus the Com
mercial club was started on it's Career.
Among the active citizens and those
who were foremost in advocating the
Club as an Important Thing for the
welfare of the Town, were a Minister
and a Lawyer. The good clergyman
was made the Secretary, a Banker of
the town was elected President, and
the Lawyer Treasurer. AS is usual
with such clubs, a Constitution and
Bylaws were adopted; an Executive
Committee appointed, and also a Hus-
Ting Committee to add Push to the
club. 1t was outlined that by harmony
and cooperation the town could be
Doomed and made much Better. One
of the Things desired was a Public
Library. Among the other Things
were Manufacturing Enterprises, a
Creamery and another Elevator for the
town, to compete with the one Eleva-
tor already located there.
Six months of careful labor on the
part of the Commercial Club devel-
oped the fact that the efforts towards
securing any of these Things were
without results. There was no Library,
the Creamery Proposition was consid-
cred ~unfavorable, as the farmers could
secure more by shipping their cream
out of Town than the Creamery could
afford to pay, and as to the Elevator,
only a part of the Stock necessary for
it's start was subscribed. An investi-
cation revealed that out of this very
same town each day an average of
more than 5000 was being sen to Out
side Cities for Goods that might as
well have been purchased at the home
stores. 1t was discovered that the
Minister, who was the Secretary of
tIiC SiuD, " lhc WullC LII was AuNO-
eating Town Improvement, was quiet
ly Working among the Members of his
Flock to secure Orders for Groceries
and other goods to send to a Chicago
alleged cooperative concern. He was
receiving five per cent. commission on
all Purchases made. The Lawyer of
the town, who was made the Treasurer
OF the Club, was sending away for the
Clothes he wore, and even the Banker
could not find Carpets sufficiently good
money to a foreign place for rugs. and
also a Piano that ornamented his
home.
These misled Enterprising Citizens
were working all along the wrong
lines. While they were Anxious to I'M
prove the Town, to start the Creamery
that, perhaps, would keep a few
thousand dollars a year in the town
an Elevator that was almost unneces-
sary, as the n already located in the
Town was capable of handling all the
grain produced in the neighborhood,
and would result in no saving or the
bringing in of greater income, they
overlooked the Importance of devising
mean of retaining Business to the
Town that was going away from it.
The very ones intrusted with the
Building Up of the Industries of the
Place were foremost in turning over
to other communities the Dollars that
should be retained to improve the
Home Trade, and make Wealthy the
community.
Moral-It would be well for mem
bers of Commercial Clubs to take heed
that the most important action for the
Club to take is to Devise Means of
Protecting Enterprises already estab-
lished instead of gaining new Enter
prises of Doubtful Utility.