The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-12-15
A REPRESENTATIVE of a COM

A REPRESENTATIVE of a COM
Amercial agency called on the
ritter few days ago to find out,
: he said, "how the wheels were
moying' in local business circles.
aH YOU wish to get in touch with
business conditions here, why don't
,ou call on the men who are in
hisiness?" | asked him. How do
rou expect me to know how manv
nits of clothes this man has sold.
how many spring frocks that man
has been forced to pack away in
\ his basement to be sold at a loss
next year, how many overdue notes
may be threatening a third, or how
isr in the red. the bank account Of
some other fellow may be plunged?"
II came to you to save time"
nv visitor replied. by talking to
YOU can talk to all your business
men at once. Secretaries are not
paid and commercial clubs do not
s flourish in communities where
weeds overrun the farms and bust
ness is on the ragged edge. To be
sure, you cannot answer as to the
details of each mans business
I affairs. You do know, however.
whether Mr.. Smith 8 and Mr.. Jones'
dues in your club are paid; you
{ know whether Mr.. Brown each
| month looks with favor upon your
receipt book or beholds it as hold
up gun muzzled at him for the pur-
pose Of relieving him of his bard
earned dollars; you know whether
worthy enterprises can be success
fully carried through or lag, drag
and die for the lack of support; you
know whether your meetings are
attended by bare disgruntled
quorum or the chairs are filled with
live wires, ready with words and
works to back every meritorious
Undertaking; you know whether
optimism or pessimism rules the
life OF your town, and let me tell
you that where a general feeling of
optimism prevails it is a safe bet
that prosperity is lodging some
where in the community
After all is there not good deal
Of truth in what the commercial
man had to say? The Commercial
Club, existing as it does for the
purpose of fnrthering and fostering
the commercial, industrial, agricul-
tural and social welfare of the COM
munity, and representing as it does
the leading business and professional
men and farmers, should furnish
an accurate barometer on the pro-
gress and prosperity of the COM
munity. Certain it is, such an Or
ganization cannot continue to thrive
in town where discord usurps the
place of unity and the country con-
tinues to raise nothing but the price
of land. Nothing will more surely
defeat the purposes or emasculate
the activities Of a commercial club,
than the elevation of private gain,
political preferment or social adj
varcemeEt to position paramount
to community growth, or half
hearted and haphazard methods in
the development of the natural re-
sources. AS between personalities,
politics, religion and society, there
is but one safe path along which
the Commercial club may steer its
course, and that is squarely in the
middle of the road. A diversion te
the right or left inevitably means
temporary defeat or permanent dis
solution. In the cause of healthy
and staple rural growth there is but
one gospel for the Commercial Club
to preach and that is the gospel Of
honest toll, scientific methods anC
perseverance. Hence, the Clubs
success must, of a necessity. stanc
for the broadening and expansion
Of the different phases of the city''
lite along harmonious lines and
the directing of the country's future
Development in permanent ane
profitable channels.
j One year ago the pessimist's
ominous admonition was, Just
wait. Wait until the last spike
q has been driven on the North Coas
! railroad and the construction crews
1 have been called off; wait until all
construction work on the irrigation
\ projects comes to an end, and the
clty's welfare depends solely upon
the products of the country. Then
j you will see''-So much for the
] pessimist's predictions. He was
correct in his representations in sc
q ar that he foresaw that the veal
s would place Kennewick upon its
own agricultural resources for sup
port. The valleys producing capa.
ahties have been put to a test at
ame when big business has hiber.
mated, capitalists have choked theil
money bags, and the cry of quiet