The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-06


centuries and shall bedeck themselves
with waving grain and luscious fruit;
when our mines shall have been made
TO yield in their full abundance; when
our people shall work in harmony; then
shall Utah crowning as she does the
mountain peaks. stand among the other
states Of this great nation the peer Of
l all and eXcelled by none. This is no IDLE
dream This is no vain phantasy of the
brain. This is the destiny Of Utah And
today, as we celebrate the birth Of the
nation. we also celebrate the dawn Of
day long coming, but whose morning
shafts are gliding the mountain tops.
Absence Of Selfishness.
"The proud position that it now occu-
pies shows what can be accomplished by
unselfish and united effort. Selfishness
| has not been a moving force in its man
agement. 1t has worked for the whole
state. 1t has benefited the whole state.
The farmer who takes his hoe and coaxes
he precious water upon arid acres has
gained through its existence. The Ia
borer who tolls in the midday heat never
made an appeal to this organization in
vain The children who are striving for
an education have found it to be an as
sisting friend. Our sister cities in their
public efforts have received from II en-
couragement and material assistance. It's
work has been for Utah and for all Utah.
and for every man, woman and child in
Utah. and It has not been preJudiced by
the chickering's of theologians nor the
blind partisanship Of politicians"
Judge Powers gave a brief historical
review of the Commercial club from its
birth in 1902 to the present time.
Tribute TO Fisher Harris.
mo man can mention the Commercial
club and its work II he be a fair and
lust man without giving recognition TO
the services of Fisher Harris" continued
Judge Powers. Modest, faithful, always
patient, always possessing tact, Fisher
Harris in serving the interests Of the
club has written his name indelibly upon
the history of this state. If an unkind
fate had not taken from him the power
to express in audible tones the thoughts
that crowd his active brain, he would
stand, as in all justice he should where
l stand now. speaking OF the past and
Of the future of this organization; and
here, without his consent, I desire to pre-
sent some thoughts which he kindly fur
nished me for this occasion. giving him
full credit for the same. for he cannot
speak to you, yet I give to you his words.
This is what he wrote:
This club has never confined its pub
lie activities to Salt Lake City and the
State Of Utah, but it has also taken an
intelligent and frequently effective inter
est in every movement affecting that
wide extent of western country, a great
part of which is tributary to our mar
kets.
The board Of governors understands
that you cannot add dollar Of wealth
or a family Of population to the vast
area Of rapidly developing country sur
rounding this city for 500 miles in every
direction without adding to our volume
Of business and increasing the sum total
Of our bank clearances.
7 understand, Of course, that there
never was a chamber Of commerce, board |
of trade, commercial club or other pub
lie body, that received or perhaps de-
served the unqualified commentator OF
every individual in a community, and
there never will be, so long as men are
human and Of various minds. I can see
no reason why this club should hope to
innumerable reasons why it should strive |
not to deserve II.
=" The criticisms OF this particular COM
mercial club, for which I am writing the /
brief, are about as follows:
Criticism Is Welcome.
" You pay too much attention to the |
social features Of the club.
" You do not pay enough attention to 1
the social features OF the club.
" You are not active enough IN your /
attention to your civic duties
" You are too active in your work and /
interfere in many things that you have |
no business to undertake.
90 The club has never done anything for |
the community.
good
% The club can very well afford to /
ignore criticism that is obviously ignor- /
ant. selfish or malicious, but 1t cannot |
afford to ignore criticism that is honest |
and Wholesome 1t always has and al /
ways viii invite and welcome the latter
kind Of criticism, from whatever source 4
it may come.
IS The percentage OF adverse criticism
Of the Commercial club of Salt Lake 1
City has been notably smaller than that /
Of any similar organization in the United /
States, and among informed people all /
over the country it is regarded as the /
md
kind I'm the west, and is pointed to as
the best known example of what a COM
mercial club should be- This statement
IS absolutely true and can prove It to
any disinterested man who is sufficiently
Interested to investigate it.
" Another striking testimonial to the
clubs deserved reputation IS the splen-
did. continued and loyal support it re-
great membership. They believe in it |
and they show their faith by their works
Some of the Achievements.
If 1 should attempt to recite every
hing the club has attempted to do in the
seven and One-half years Of its exist
5nce, / would fill a volume too large for
your ready perusal, but I will mention
4 few instances.
Do you remember the great freight
-ate victory it won after three years Of
lnceasing work? That was pronounced
by railroad men as being the greatest
-ViiNIooloA NfNA W NltE 4AUll d TdllEOdQ
company by a western commercial or
yanization in a generation.
" DO you remember that while it was
-oung and had not reached a tenth of
Is present influence it raised So, 900 and
Iept the public schools open for six weeks,
after the board Of education had aban-
ioned the field?
DO you remember the splendid en-
ertainment it gave for five DAYS to 325
IF the most prominent business men of
Los Angeles, as result Of which many
hundred thousand dollars of California
,apital was invested here and the indus
rial and social relations of the two cit
es we're cemented2
DO you remember the SeSe America
First movement, which originated with
md was fatheTed by this club? Accord
ng to the greatest railway men in the
world. that movement brought favorable
advertising to the west generally and
his city in particular. that could not
lave been secured by an expenditure of
800, 600 in cash
Do you remember that the club
-aised 5000 to aid the city of Ogden in
he entertainment of the Eleventh Ma
ional Irrigation cOngress-the most sue
"a -,4x i