Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-11-17
LET THE BOARD OF TRADE WAKE
UP, ADVERTISE AND PUSH
AMERICUS AND SUMTER.


no meeting since it's gathering in Sep
TENDER. There have been no meetings
Of any of its committees in several
months. AS a result it has done moth
ing to further the business interests of
the city,to promote any plan having
the upbuilding of the city as its pur-
pose. 1t has been about as inert as
anything we know of of late and it Is
decidedly time that it was revfvifed,
put in fighting trim, and made to ac-
complish something definite along the
lines it is supposed to work.
Once month is a long time be-
tween meetings of the only trade body
in the city. and when there is no meet
ing inside of two months the lapse OF
time between gatherings for the dis
cussion of public business measures is
altogether too long, and in a measure
inexcuseable. The Board of Trade in
a sense is the guardian of the inter.
ests of the entire city, and while many
of its members have been slow to take
hold and assist it in its operations still
the minority who have teen carrying
the burden should not become dis
couraged and stop their efforts en-
tirely.
There is much for the Board Of
Trade to do if it will only do it. The
great blunder that has been made
since its very inception has been its
failure to provide itself with an ex.
perienced superintendent, who would
combine the duties of secretary with
those of promoter for the city, whose
entire time would be given to studying
the needs of Americas, to advertising
its opportunities, to heralding I'll
claims and seeking to interest capital
and settlers in this city and county.
Without rejecting on any individual
the methods that have been used have
been largely a waste of money. Nc
man can serve two masters, and nc
man can simply give the crumbs of his
time to the Board of Trade, to the
great work of promoting the material
interests ofthe city and expect to
| accomplish much. If the Board is
ever going to really accomplish any
thing it has got to secure the services
of a progressive, wide awake, expert
enced man, who knows how to utilize
every opportunity offered for the ad-
vertising of the city and county, whose
mind will at all times be on the alert
to secure new industries, new bust
ness, new citizens. And such a man
will be well worth every cent the
Board can pay him.
The Board has done nothing in the
way of advertising the city and county
the present year. The suggestion has
been made that this be given attention
Immediately. Inasmuch as this in
wolves the expenditure OF money it
will be necessary for the Board to con-
slider it at one of its meetings. Re-
Gently the Tfmes-Recorder showed
that Sumter county is now a I'VE MIL
lion dollar crop county. This is a
great feature that should be made
known to the world at large. The
Times Recorder did what it could to
do this. Through its agency the facts
were published in the Atlanta, Macon
and Savannah papers. But that is
not adequate. A pamphlet should be
issued, which could be sent wherever
it is thought the information will
awaken interest, sent through the real
estate agents, through the banks, the
railroads, the business men, and its
citizens generally. There are few
counties in the South that make a
showing anywhere near as good.
Coupled with illustrations of our corn,
oat ana cotton crops, our wonderfully
fine roads, ETC., it would make one of
the most attractive, one of the most
convincing, advertisements ever sent
out in the interest of a Southern
county.
There is work to be done. Americas
must hold the position it has obtained
and become larger and more pros
porous city. But it cannot do this If
theBoard of Trade is to do nothing.
That organization must set the pace.
1t must wake up the people, 1t must be
the enthusing factor in the commun-
ity. And 1t certainly isn't doing much
enthusing when two months pass by
without meeting.
Americas is a fine city. 1t has grand
opportunities. But opportunities that
are not taken advantage of might just
rs we'll not be in existence. The