The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-10-19
BOOSTERS CLUB CAN DO
MUCH FOR development
United Effort Of Different Commercial
Clubs can Help Settle State With
Good Class Of Settlers.

Gle, sugge sung the organization OF a
state boosters" club, which is a
commendable proposition:
Reference was made, in our local
columns on Sunday, to the move
ment set on foot by the St. Paul
Commercial club for the affiliation
of all the commercial clubs of the
state in common effort for the
building up of Minnesota's indus
trial and commercial interests. This
is something which might we'll have
been inaugurated long ago. But
the stimulus which has recently been
given to the organization of local
clubs, and the successes which have
attended their. separate efforts, make
it probable that larger and more
effective cooperation may now be
attained than could have been pos
sible at an earlier date.
There is any amount of work
whice well-oficered state organiza-
ton may do, and which properly
belongs to such an organization
rather than to the local clubs of
St. Paul and Minneapolis. These
last have patriotically "shouldered
through" many movement planned
for the benefit of the whole state,
with small cooperation or none
from any other bodies. They de-
serve infinite credit for the broad
mindedness which has discerned
that in boosting state Interests they
were doing the very thing to pro-
mote the growth of the Twin Cities.
But probably the best service
they cen serss;er to-day is to lay
the burden of such boosting upon a
co operative organization such as is
now commended to the commercial
clubs of the state. A shared respon-
sibility will broaden the aspirations
of local clubs, and induce such
effort on the part of their members,
for state development, as has hither-
to been confined to the interests
of their own immediate vicinage.
And their local work will be better
done through the quickening which
comes from association with larger
enterprises.
Massachusetts, has board which
every now and then issues a PAM
phlet or bulletin setting forth the
business openings which exist in
different towns and villages, and
which are continually offering.
This publication involves a deal
of secretary work; but that it
pays" is evident from the fact of
it's being continued. Attractive
sketches of different localities may
draw thither individuals, every now
and then, who will rely on them
selves to make their own opening" D."
The education of the people of the
Middle West-so many of whose
sons are yet annually pulling up
stakes and moving toward newer
states -andof European populations,
as to the real attractiveness of and
the opportunities offered by Mime
sofa lands, is another kind of work
which a state organization may
appropriately tackle, working in
harmony with the official state
immigration board.
But perhaps the most important
task to which the federation of
clubs may address itself is that of
gathering data for the guidance of
the state legislature to intelligent
action in the framing of laws
affecting such broad interests as the
development of waterways, the con.
servation of waterpowers for the
general good, the drainage Of
swamps, irrigation, the regulation o1
land-holdings, the preservation and
planting of forests, the expansion
of industrial education, and the like,
A large percentage of the senators
and representatives, in every legisla
ture, are new to their duties. Few
of them have given to any one o1
the subjects named the particular
study desirable before acting or
any bill affecting it. =,
The opportunities for such study
during the session are extremely
limited. It would be "a godsend t.
the members and to the state if,fron
an organization known to be with