The Washington herald., 1909-04-04

When this old hat was new
The railroad was a stage
And Sx-mule team made plenty Of steam
For the broadsst kind Of a gauge
When needed a pen. we killed a goose.
And the ink we used blue;
But the women we loved didn't want TO be men
When this old hat new.
Charles Hall Davis. Of Petersburg. Va,
wEs then introduced and said:
7 have the honor to be the chairman
OF the executive committee Of the South
ern Commercial Congress. and as such
Il Is my duty. assisted by the committee,
10 produce results. For that reason. I
want 10 tell you the inception. the his
tory. the purposes. the plans of that
organization.
1T is a big business plant for the busi-
ness development of a business section
in a business way.
Last fan a few commercial secretaries
OF the South met in Chattanooga, and,
after discussing the needs and resources
OF the South. they concluded that the
greatest need and the greatest require
ment OF the South was that the Southern
people. should know their own resources;
that the resources of the South should be
intelligently stated and that when stated,
those resources should be intelligently
interpreted.
Commercial Congress Meets.
"As q result Of that idea, meeting
was called here in December. and at that
meeting men OF national and interna-
tional reputation stated the resources OF
the South. was asked 10 attend that
meeting and came here and sat for two
days listening TO men whose standing was
such that their statements could not be
disputed. as they set forth the resources
of the South.
Il had come from a section where to-
bacco and peanuts are the great indus
tries, and I listened for two days. and
the resources Of the South were so enor-
nous. the possibilities OF the South were
so great that tobacco was not even men
toned. except as one Of the agricultural
products One thing unique IN all my
experience in Southern meetings. 1 did
not hear a single State mentioned except
once in that meeting. but the whole meet
ing dealt with the general resOurces-with
coal with iron. with cotton. with rail-
roads. with water-pOwer-with the re-
sources OF the South as a whole, and did
not touch on any individual State.
Congress Takes Action.
with such statements Of the resources
Of the South. and with such interpreta-
ton OF what those resources meant, that
listening assembly became so enthused.
and so cor vinced Of the possibilities Of
the development OF the South. that it was
decided 20 make permanent the work Of
this association. A meeting OF the off,
GERS elected by the congress was held
and was then asked TO act on the execu-
tive committee.
we then became convinced that three
things were necessary for the successful
work OF any organization in the South
we became convinced that IL was on
account Of the failure to recognize those
three essentials that every movement
heretofore made had died out before its
work had been accomplished
I'VE became convinced, first. that the
only way 10 develop the resources Of the
South was by concentration. This is an
era when concentration and combination
are the slogan OF every business prOpo-
sition. This is a time when, 10 produce
results, it is necessary 10 bring into play
every force and energy possible at the
point Of least resistance.
Must Include Whole south.
I'VE became convinced that no hamlet,
no town. no city. no county. no State,
which had a common interest in the de-
lopment Of the South could be omitted
II we expected 10 have a successful con
clusion TO our work We united on this
idea OF concentration and combination
OF bringing together all the forces in the
South. of enlisting the aid and assistance
OF every commercial body, however small
or large. Of teaching these commercial
bodies TO become permanent; OF getting
the cooperation and assistance. not only
OF commercial bodies. but OF all munich
paiities counties. cities, individuals. cor
porations-of bringing together every
influence in the South.
I'VE became convinced that this was
the first requirement for the successful
consummation Of our work
Permanency OF Organization.
In the second place, we became con-
vinced that every effort made heretofore
had failed largely because il was not
permanent. No man will go into any
business or will trust his business TO any
manager unless he is satisfied that the
business is permanent one. and that
the manager viii take care Of the work.
No organization can hope to be success
ful unless It puts itself In the beginning
on a permanent basis, and no organization
can hope 20 accomplish what It sets out
20 accomplish unless II arranges TO con-
tinue its work until that work has been
accomplished.
Thus we became convinced that we
must have, first, concentration; second,
permanency, and third. means.
when I was asked 10 join the execu-
tive committee OF the Southern CONNER
cial Congress. these three difficulties were
stated in the inception Of our work
Every movement started in the South
for the development of our resources.
every movement started for the promo
ton OF our industries. has failed because
il has not brought together all the infu-
ences that could be brOaght together. that
II has not had a permanent character, and
that II has not had the money 20 carry
out its purposes.
Money Needed for the Work.
The touchstone Of a religious organi-
zation is the dogma OF belief Of the people
who adhere 70 It; the touehstone Of a social
organization Is the social standing of the
people who belong to it, and the touch
stone of a business organization must be
the money. the financial interest Of the
people who go into IT,
The purpose OF the Southern CONNER
cial Congress Is to exploit and develop
the resources Of the South: to state those
resources authoritatively, 70 interpret
+, those resources effectively; TO present
those statements and that Interpretation
10 the people who can most aid in deveI-
oping the South; 10 make the Southern
Neople themselves conscious Of the oDDor-