Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-04-10

Col A. N. Walker, of Philadelphia,
President of the Americus street rail-
way, sent telegram expressing his
regret at not being able to reach
Americus in time, and gave his best
wishes. Judge Littlejohn was on the
program, but was detained at court
at Preston.
Mr.. L. A. Cults.
Mr.. E. A Quits, of Savannah, re-
SpOnded to the toast "AmericuS, An
cient and Present" He spoke of his
early manhood in this city, and re-
GREETED that he could not now say
Look what we have done" II would
rather live here than any place in
the world" he said with feeling.
Here | was born and passed my
early years. Here | married the pret-
tiest and sweetest woman in the
state" He spoke of the fact that
there were no ladies at the two ban
quets of the trade bodies in Savannah
This led him to speak of the absence
of liquors from the bill of fare here,
and then to the coming of prohibition
which he declared glorious
change" and expressed the hope that
the liquor traffic would never be re-
turned. He also spoke of the financi
al depression. There's been too
much war on corporate industries in
this and other states' was his opin-
ion.
Hon. w. A. Dodson spoke on "The
Future of Americus," the subject be-
ing discussed IN an effective style. He
referred to the new street railway and
other signs of progress.
Mr.. John A. Betjeman.
Undoubtedly the most helpful ad-
dress of the evening was that of Mr..
John A. Betjeman, secretary and di-
rector of the Albany Business Leagus,
and Chairman of the Executive Com
mittee of the Georgia immigration
Association. His talk was a most
practicSA one and gave the Board of
Trade members a valuable insight in
to the best methods of conducting
their organization.
His talk was introduced by happy
anecdote, after which he settled down
to a plain talk, without flowers" as
he said. His theme was "Obstacles
in the Way of a Board of Trade and
How to Get Around Them"
First, the speaker considered the
functions of a Board of Trade. Its
first, function is to know everything
about the resources of the communi-
ty," said Mr.. Betj9man. This includes
natural advantages and those which
have been developed as we'll, also
everything effecting the development
OF the community, such as freight
rates, laws, privileges, customs con-
trolling business, and the like, and to
know just what is needed most by
the business community, whether
wholesale hardware, store, street
cars, sewerage system, new capital,
or what not.
1T thus becomes the function of
Board Of Trade to present all of
this information or 7such part of it
as is needed, to the proper persons at
the proper time. Whether they be
at home or abroad. Gathering and
presenting these facts makes the or
ganization the business mems forum
After these things have been done,
the climax of the work of a Board of
Trade is to take care of each man as
he comes into the community to To-
cate, as a laborer, as large investor,
as producer, farmer, educator, or
what not.
:'Having indicated the functions of
Board of Trade, it is proper to
consider the methods of accomplish
ing these things, and in doing so OBJ
stacles will naturally develop. The
first thing is to learn your resources.
What wholesale merchant knows, of
the extent of the lumber in this reg
ion? What does the retail merchant
know of the quantity of labor avail
able for furniture factory or cotton
mill? What member of the City Coun-
Gil can state the opportunities offer
ing through the medium of your
banks to carry mandatory? What
educator can tell the investor what
the lands will produce? What rail-
road man can say whether your clay
carries aluminium, whether your
streams carry power, whether your
rocks contain lime or phosphate?
'These studies of the resources of
this community must be made, and un-
less the Board of Trade is able to
take these various threads and hold
them together, weave them into the
complete cloth, the greatest devel-
oping factor is still lacking"
The speaker stressed the great ad-
vantages in having all the informa-
tion concentrated by the secretary
and his assistants, and also regular
to hold the interest The
subject of advertising was discussed.
In discussing the obstacles the
speaker said that the principal one
was not the lack of public spirit, or
number of business men but the mis-
taken idea that each mans own bus
ines demands so much of his atten-
ton that he cannot reach out and de-
velop the community, not realizing
that in proportion as the community
grows will his own business grow.
were also treated, a graded
scheme of dues being suggested But
the most deadly obstacle was declared
to be individual jealousies and fac
tional feelings. The danger of in
jecting politics was also pointed out.
In closing his address, Mr. Betjeman
congratulated the Board of Trade on
their good work and expressed the
hope that in ten years Americus would
be a city of $4,000 people.
Toast "The LADIES'
In responding to the toast of "The
Ladies'" Mr.. Hollis Fort said in
part:
Mr. Toastmaster, l am assured of
the fact that when the committee as
signed the subject of "The Ladies"
they had in mind our general concep-
tion of that word which embraces the
stronger term and magic word of
Woman" l have searched for a
meaning of that word, and the near
est approach to a fitting definition is
that she is something between a flow
er and an angel and it is with this
woman that Americus is blessed.
Our women are our terrestrial
stars that light the pathway of our