Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-06-17
WINNER OF BUSINESS
Commercial Clubs Value In De-
veIoping Home Trade.
PRODUCER OF GOOD RESULTS.
Found Efficient In Civic Improvement,
Advertising Towns and Procuring
New Manufactures and Business
Houses-Trade Leagues Methods.

New Manufactures and Business
Houses-Trade Leagues Methods.
AS a means Of procuring home trade
and civic improvement the commercial
club is meeting with ever increasing
favor. 1t is found efficient in uniting
home sentiment, in gaining local ad
vantages, in advertising the town, in
going after new manufactures and
business houses and in sending out
scouting parties for trade. Organiza-
ton is the key to civic success. The
difference between animate and mani
mate matter is that one is organic, the
other inorganic This is also the diff
ference between cosmos and chaos.
The beginning of better things in a
vast number Of cities and towns has
dated from the organization of hus-
Ting commercial clubs. We are in an
age of cooperation, and the communi-
ty that does not make use of this prin-
ciple is handicapped in the race.
I have before me the reports OF
three commercial clubs in widely sep
arated parts of the country. They
are selected as types for the reason
that they represent different lines Of
activity. The three of them together
do not fill all the wide seld that an or
ganizatiOn of this sort may occupy.
Indeed, it is impossible to indicate this
entire field in detail or to lay down
any hard and fast limits, as each town
has it's own needs and its own best
way Of reaching results. But, speak
ing generally, the experience of one
town will coincide with that Of others
Of similar size, surroundings and re-
sources. Organization, hustle, unity
Of purpose, intelligent advertising and
keeping eternally at it are necessary
in all These results can best be
achieved through a commercial club.
1t need not necessarily bear that
name but may be called a board of
trade, merchants association, civic
improvement league or anything else
that appeals to those organizing it;
but, under whatever name, it must COW
er these general lines, varied in detail,
of course, to fit to local conditions.
The first of the reports referred to is
from Kansas City, Mo, where the
commercial club recently sent out 100
members to canvass contiguous terri
tory for trade The band was called
trade winners and was on the road a
full week, invading the three states OF
Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.
Scores of towns were visited, and be-
cause of judicious advance adyertis-
ing the train bearing the boomers was
met by large crowds at practically
every stop.
One novel feature of the crusade
was the prominence of the social side.
The trade winners were canny and
knew that if they could enlist the wO-
men and children their battle was
more than half won. SO they armed
themselves with 10000 boxes of bon
bons and went forth seeking not those
whom they might devOur, but those
that would do the devouring them
selves They had no trouble in lOcat-
ing victims Possibly here is the eX-
PLANTATION Of the large crowds at the
stations. The fame of those bOnbons
had gone ahead This method of cam
paigning is on the old principle that
mOlasseS catches more flies than vine
gar. Candy catches more trade than
oratory.
That the women of the various
towns visited entered into the spirit Of
the occasion was shown at the town
of Triplett, where several pretty girls
went about pinning bouquets on the
boomers, each bearing the label For
the Handsomest Man on the Train"
In view of the fact that a number
were thus decorated, while others were
not, a GOODNESS sprang up which caus-
ed several men merely to grunt when
they spoke the next morning. One
badge bore the legend, For the Hand
soonest Fat Man on the Train" but
that is now rather a distinction in
keeping with White House styles.
The second report is from Bridgeton,
n. J. BridgetOn is a small city in
south Jersey, the county seat of Cum
berland county. where the great glass
and textile mills are located. 1t has
recently organized Il commercial league,
opened permanent headquarters and
started Il campaign of publicity. 1t
will cover not only the field of solicit
ing new enterprises and home trade,
but will take up the work of imprOv
ing and identifying the city. 1t will
also consider municipal problems, one
being that of the establishment of
municipal electric lighting plant in
place of the privately owned one now
in existence. That Bridgeton is up to
date is shown by the recent adoption
of the Galveston plan" in electing its
city council.
The third report is from Charleston,
S. c., where through the efforts Of the
chamber of commerce il opening river
navigation the city has developed rap
idly as a distributing and wholesale
center. On the advent of railroads
into Charleston river navigation was
gradually abandoned and at one time
had practically disappeared. AS a re-
suit of railroad rates Charleston be-
came impossible as a distributing CEN
ter, other cities underselIing her in her
own immediate territory 1t was then
that the chamber of commerce took up
the question of water transportation.
and, although one boat was lost by
fire, it persisted until today under the
stimulus of reduced rates Charleston
has an encouraging wholesale trade,
one house selling in fifteen states.