The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-11-25
"A GREATER SOUTH THROUGH
A GREATER SOUTH CAROLINA"
Address Delivered By Secretary A. McP' Handy
of Columbia Chamber of Commerce Before
Newberry Chamber of Commerce.

fitting by the new industry, because
all of this means that from the Pied
mont to the ocean and from the Pee
Dee to the Savannah we must get to-
gether, live together more, and pull
together stronger.
Along this line, we too often make
a mistake as to the "get together
spirit" on behalf of our State and our
own local pride. The existence of our
commercial bodies is in fact a proof
OF compromise of issue that at one
time divided possibly the commercial
leadership of the State into factional
organizations and cliques, all directed
in purpose to a common goal, but es-
saying to reach it upon paths that Of
ten crossed and not infrequently ar
rayed those who travelled them upon
opposite lines Of effort and method.
Locally we have all suffered as vic
TINS to conflicting ideas of CONNER
cial aims and policy, and it is impos-
sible to tell the volume of misspent
patriotic labor that has been thus
wasted under the regime of a COM
petitive system of commercial bodies.
It would be most fortunate for nomi-
nail consolidation of our organizations
to include general merger of the
individual opinions that direct and
animate them, for it must be admitted
that there is a decided absence of
sympathy in the joint effort and deal
ings of the business organizations of
the entire State. There is also anoth-
or trouble that confronts our CONNER
cia1 organizations, and which consti-
tutes one Of our greatest weaknesses,
and that is the fear of working as an
entire body to further the purposes of
any individual member, failing to see
that to help any one in QUAR- midst
must necessarily, directly or Indirect
ly, help the others. We can not ac-
com1Eish more than one thing at a
time, and why should not this one
thing be something that interests the
member of our commercial organiza-
ton who spends his money and gives
his tina freely, without reward, in
service to the general public. To rem
der assistance to any member OF the
chamber of commerce in his business
is but to prove to those who are not
members that such membership is a
business asset, and I know of no bet
ter motto to have printed and distri-
buted among the members of COM
mercial organization for display in
their places of business than, "All
things being equal, in business, a
member. of the chamber of commerce
has the preference" By all the laws
of justice this should be the case and
there is no reason why it should not
be. No matter how much civic pride
a man may have or how patriotic he
may be, he finally tires of eternally
paying dues to an organization from
which he receives no benefits, and
while these organizations benefit a
community in it's entirety, whenever
the opportunity is offered to specially
benefit an individual member in his
business, it should be grasped i'm
mediately and thus pay him dividend
on his capital of money and time,
which he so cheerfully and freely in
vested.
Another thing that we should be
mindful of is the training of the young
men who very wisely decide to iden-
tify themselves with our commercial
bodies. It is too often the case that
they are prevailed upon by some old
er business men, in whom they have
every COuuQSuCS, W JOlu LuCSC VI 6c1A4
izations, thus adding to the roll and
to the treasury, and when this is &C
complished they are forgotten. There
is too much Of a tendency to appoint
elderly men on committees, the work
imposed upon which could so much
more easily and quickly be accom-
plished by younger men; and when
ever there is an honor to be conferred
it also falls upon the older member.
While I would not take one single
laurel from the wreath that encircles
the brow of any honorable business
man who has spent years of his life
in public service, yet 7 do not believe
in either working a willing horse to
death or placing the load upon one
which could be so much easier pull
ed by another Any young man be-
coming affiliated with the Older busi-
ness men naturally feels his lack OF
experience and weight in commercial