Rock Island Argus., 1909-08-02
A "Chamber of Citizenship" ;"

A ''Chamber of Citizenship"
Cleveland enjoys the unusual dis
tinction of having a chamber of COM
merce that is interested in many
things besides planting dollars today
and getting them back tomorrow
with an increase. regardless of other
considerations. To be sure, the
chamber gives close attention to such
matters as the development of new
industries, excursions. freight rates,
and all the factors of commerce
which have to do with immediate
results in money making; but that
does not tell the whole story. 1t
plants for the future" on a truly
magnificent scale and the harvest
has already begun.
Rev. Albert Sidney Gregg de-
scribes this remarkable civic organ
ization in Leslie's Weekly. AS the
plan is bound to be adopted by other
cities, the idea as detailed by Mr.
Gregg is worth reproducing. He
says:
1.-The controlling idea of the cham
ber is that solid and enduring COM
mercial success rests on a foundation
or good government and sound econ
omics. This means that the Cleve-
land chamber of commerce believes
that it pays" in the ordinary COM
mercial sense to create conditions
that will make better men and wo-
men by safeguarding health. promot-
| ing education, and by working for
the uplift of the city in every way.
! so you will find the 1000 repre-
sentative manufacturers. bankers,
| lawyers, wholesalers, doctors. retail
ers, preachers and others who COM
pose the chamber divided into 81
groups. each group earnestly and ac-
| lively engaged in seeking the Solu-
tion of problems which are generally
supposed to be outside the scope of
a body organized for commercial
purposes. These men do good citi-
zenship' work of the most approved
| type, and thus has come about the
designation, Chamber of citizenship,
which is used with increasing fire.
Quency by officers and members and
which they justly regard as title
of honor.
| Business and professional men
of the chamber. who did not dream
few years ago that they could pos
sibly spare any time from business
! for civic duties, are now active and
enthusiastic in solving difficult public
questions which are so often left
with Indifferent results, to individual
reformers, or nobody. They give
hours to committee meetings and in
vestigations that they might devote
to making more money for them
selves, but they give gladly of time
and ability without thought of i'm
mediate personal returns. Such an
atmosphere of devotion to the larger
| interests of the city exists in the
| chamber that the members make
| their citizenship duties a part OF
their regular scheme of daily, activ-
tiles. Time is saved and good fellow
lship promoted by holding committee
meetings during the noon luncheon
in the private dining room in the
chamber of commerce building.
Everything under the sun of hui
man interest is considered by this
unique organization, and for the
chamber to consider anything means
that something is going to be done
about it. Among some of the definite
results gained are a better consular
lservice, the inspection of meat and
milk, the planting and the care OF
trees, school sanitation. public bath
houses, public Fairgrounds, reduc
tion of the smoke nuisance, and com
the city. This does not include al
that has been done, but it gives ;
fair idea of the diversity of the cham
ber's activities.
"Slum conditions have been min
imized by action of the chamber il
: obtaining a building code which pro
hibits the erection of unsanitary ant
ing, and at this writing the chambe
is preparing code to prevent thu
occupancy of old buildings which d'
not conform to the regulations pass
ed by the city council.
: while the housing committee wa
: investigating living conditions previ
Gus TO the enactment of the new
building laws, it was discovered tha
in one district of the city, having ;
population of about 5000. ther'
were only j bathtubs, and most o
those were not in usable condi
Ition. A special committee of th
chamber undertook careful stud.
of public lighthouses in American
cities, and secured bond issue. pro
viding for the erection OF publi
lighthouses; and now Cleveland ha
three well-equipped baths in tn
crowded sections of the city. with
s total attendance last year of nearl.
100000 and more lighthouses ar
on the way
|