Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-19

| A year in which things were done
and achievements of Ottumwa were
perhaps never. eclipsed. is shown In
| the extensive report of Secretary ]. N
| Weidenfeller of the work OF the asso
citation during 1910. The report com
plete follows
To the officers and members of the
commercial association your secre
tary herewith submits for your i'm
formation and consideration his report
of the work of the association for the
year 1910 The purpose OF this re
port is to give you general summary
of the various accomplishments OF the
association for the past year without
going into too great details OF the
work done.
Treating the various subjects in the
committee order in which they come
we have the following to submit xol
your consideration:
Convention Committee.
Approaching the value OF publicity
properly directed and abetted by a
spirit of boost that would not dSwn tine
association through its convention
committee was made to taste OF new
and wholesome experience, seeing
the advantages to city from securing
la convention, and then after it 10
take the proper care OF It. This com
|mittee went into the convention chas'
ing with a zeal that was unquenchable
Not content to arrange for big annual
meetings by means OF correspondents
and through reprssenr'.i''" THIS com
mittee not hesitatlng to spend It's own
money went after and landed some OF
the meetings that helped to spread the
name of Ottumwa over the state IN a
manner to be envied. The wisdom OF
going after and then when secured. 10
properly care for conventions was DEM
onstrated in the manner OF nandnns
the democratic state convention. Few
things have happened that have given
Ottumwa wider and more favorable
publicity than the manner In which
this convention was taken care o.
Another large gathering secured oy
this committee for Ottumwa was tne
Joint picnic of the Modern Woodmen OF
America, and the Morrell Packing
House employees. More such meetings.
were brought and in all some thirty
conventions of various kinds were neld
in Ottumwa and taken care OF In such
an excellent manner, This demon.
strates the fact that Ottumwa can and
does take care of conventions IN a
way that is credit to the CITY anu
pleasure to the visitor.
Good Roads Committee.
Perhaps no other committee mas
been SO we'll known in the public mlnos
AZ. the good roads committee and IN
this particular it may ,be we'll to men
tisn that the value of publicity was
APPRECIATED and its results prove the
wisdom of it's use. a.
The Good Roads committee, by Its
active enthusiasm and judicious use OF
newspaper stories has injected SO
much good roads virus into the aver
age citizen of the county that 1t IS
now almost impossible to find person
who Ia not more or less specialist IN
better highways. This committee
raised by subscription among the CIT
teens of Ottumwa about 5000, which
was spent on the streets leading to the
main travelled roads into the country
and on the principal roads IN Center
township. The agitation for good ROADS
nv the association has gone lar TOWARD
creating sentiment throughout the
country for better and more perma
nent roads, as is shown by the fac'
that all roads leading out OF the CITY
have received more attention and
we're in better condition during the
mast season than during any other per
Tod In the history of the county. An
other result Of this commlttee &C
tivity was the mapping out OF the rlvei
to river Grass route, from CounclI
Bluffs to Burlington and Muscatlne
and the raising Of $1,000 by the 1arm
ers living adjacent to the AIDA roao
in the vicinity of Blakesburg TO Dc
spent for the improvement OF tne
roads between Ottumwa and AIDA II
order to secure the Blue Grass route
by way of Blakesburg.
Freight Service.
The freight service committee nat
made a great Improvement II
the service striven for in the territory
reached by Ottumwa shippers. Inc
Arst thing they did was to secure &C
curate information as to the length o.
fine consumed by a shipment OF mer
| chandise to reach its destination aftel
beinr delivered to the road over Whlcl
II was shipped. This information was
secured by the sending OF return
postal card with every invoice sen.
out Of Ottumwa for period OF one
month, The consignee Of the shipment
was requested to fill in the date the
shinment was delivered at his station
sign his name and return the caro-
to the association. About 1000 cards
we're returned. which gave the OF
tnmwa shippers accurate Information
! 90 To the average time 1t took snip
ment to reach its destination. me
cost of this information was Dorne
the speaker of the evening. recaiing
t siS Meetings between the two, ant
- ~ +ho intrOdUctiOn OF tn