Arizona republican., 1909-04-25

People came, peeped in and went away again, merely because they could not obtain a seat or even point of vantage from which they could stand and hear what was go- ing on. Moreover, the noise made by the other tenants of the building, above and in the rear, noise that is legitimate and necessary in the busi- ness conducted, through the thin board partitions and the ceiling, which is not deadened, is most confusing and irritating in the ordinary conduct of business in the board room and even worse than that frequently on tine oc- casion of a board meeting. This is due entirely to the construction of the building which is not suited for public meetings, even if there were room enough, and which makes a temperature more deleterious to the board exhibits in the summer than the outdoor sunshine.
 The rental is probably not too high if the room were suitable, but the point is that if just a few hundred additional dollars Der year were spent for the rent of q suitable building and a few dollars for show cases and equipment, the value of the board of trade to this community would be doubled. It is proposed to spend a gCCdIy sum of money me coming year for advertisi 7, several thousI II dolairs at least and that the adNer tising is sorely needed all agree, but it is quite apparent that the best ad- vertisement the board could make would be to spend about s1,500 or S2, 900 more than the present than the present expense for rental in se- curing a years rent on appropriate quarters and equipping them so the city and valley could secure full value from the excellent exhibits now in possession of the board. Were there a comfortable room in which a speaker could be heard on all oc- casions and >in which an assemblage could be accommodated, two or three lectures per week could be given by local people on subjects of interest to tourists and they could be enlight- ened on many points in which inter- est is awakened by the exhibits. These subjects could cover the entire range Of the territory's resources. and the person who comes to Phoenix to see and hear, is much nearer the psychological receptive condition than the person who receives a printed booklet a thousand miles away.
 The membership of the Fl Paso chamber is 500. The membership of the Phoenix board is about 300 and should be not less than 500 and might be 1000 if the people would come alive to their opportunities. In this valley there is a reason why every farmer and most townspeople should belong to the board, while in Fl Paso the interest is naturally mainly among the city business men and it is their prosperity most to be augmented. But even so, with less than twice the membership of the Phoenix board, the Fl PasO chamber has a $50,O0O building and a perfect equipment while Phoenix hasn't a place big enough for the people to get to- gether in.
 The work already accomplished by the Phoenix board should be ample to inspire at least 500 more citizens to join, and if only half that mum Der did so the current revenues would maintain such 9 building as is need cd without any assault upon any pres ent or projected advertising fund. But if they will not do it, the best adver- tisement possible would be to secure quarters where full benefits may be secured from the work already well done