The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-07
QUARTERLY MEETING OF CHAM.
Der OF COMMERCE THURSDAY
NEED OF NEW CENSUS
Every Gazetteer, Geography and Rail-
way Guide Accredits Billings With
Having ! Population Of Little More
Than 1000. u
From Saturdays Daily.

0Se rs LtH
Next Thursday evening, April 9,
the regular quarterly meeting of the
Billings Chamber Of Commerce will
take place. Efforts are being put
forth to make 1t the largest that has
occurred in the history of the organ.
ization. The members will be asked
to give their endorsement to plans
tentatively adopted by the board OF
trustees for a general get-together af-
fair.
Elsewhere dollar dinners have
proved immensely popular, and it is
purposed to have n here, an assem-
blage where every Billings booster,
and there are many Of them, may at
tend and participate in the founda-
ton for effective work toward a great
er and more prosperous city. It is in
tended to make 1t a family gathering,
a love feast, where all who are inter-
ested In the city may participate and
give voice to their ideas as to what
should be done to push Billings just
a few notches further toward lasting
greatness. and prosperity.
The old Billings spirit is still 6om-
inant and a vehicle is desired to give
1t vent. Nothing better or more ap-
propriate than the suggested spread"
could be offered and 1t is the desire Of
the chamber Of commerce to make 1t
an event in the history Of the COM
munity.
Not a "kid-GIove" Affair.
1t is not intended that it shall be a
"kid-glove" affair, but one at which
all will feel welcome and leave feel
ing glad that they were there. Invi-
tations will be sent to all state off,
cials and other prominent men.
The railroads will be invited to send
representatives that they may be
heard on the matter of rates and ex-
tensions, while the members of the
state railroad commission will also
be asked to honor the occasion with
their presence in order that they may
give the people Of this part OF the
state an opportunity to learn what to
expect from them.
From the above it will be seenSthat
It is the intention to mix business
with sociability and pave the way for
effective work In the future.
Population u%nderated. $
Some of the active boosters are OF
the opinion that the time has come
when Billings should do something to
ward correcting the disadvantage un'
der which it labors as regards the out
side worlds knowledge Of the city's
population.
Every gazetteer, every geography
and every railway guide still persists
In publishing the population credited
to the city by the last government
census, taken eight years ago, The
figures given may have been emf
utut1y cOITecI aI Ildt IIme, put Bill
ings has not stood still during the in
term, even though the census bureau
may have done so.
It was all right to say then that
Billings had something in excess Of
1000 people, but nc one who has the
slightest knowledge of facts will say
that double or even treble that mum
Der is an exaggeration at present. Il
it can be shown to the outside
that instead Of the small population
accorded the city by Uncle Sam, Bill
ings is now a real city, with any
where from 10000 to $4,000 people
and the first given number is a very
modest one, 1t is bound to have its ef