The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-04-03
AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING
HELD BY LOCAL BUSINESS men

| is today the sine qua non of every
representative city of our great and
growing country. Contrasted with
the civic organizations of the past,
the chamber of commerce of today
is whirlwind in action.
| "The chamber of commerce of to-
day is san evolution of very recent
years. 1t is no longer an expert
ment; it is an institution that has
come to stay. Its activities for its
city's general upbuilding and uplift-
| ing are continually expanding. In
brief it is its city's exponent-its
city's greatest public enterprise. The
modern chamber of commerce has its
origin in the keen competition be-
tween our cities for the largest pos
| sible participation in the marvellous
| development-agricultural, industrial,
| and commercial-of our country DUR
ing the recent past. 1t is wen known
that the civic ideals Of representa-
tive cities are becoming all the time
+, more and more exalted. The cham
Der. Of commerce inspires and stim-
ulates high civic ideals and reflects
its city's ideals at home and abroad.
"The up-to-da chamber of COM
merce works along practical busi-
ness lines. 1t follows, naturally. of
course, the paths of least resistance.
Building a city-and | mean not
merely bricks and mortar and steel
and iron,' but also the upbuilding of
citiz7nship-is business, great and
magnificent business. And the cham
Der of commerce is distinetively
business organization.
'Neglecting none of its city's ad-
vantages, the chamber of commerce
promotes them all. Naturally it con-
centrates its efforts on its city's chief
attraction. This attraction may be
as a desirable location for manufac-
turing industries. 1t may be as an
advantageous freight-distribuffng CEN
ter. 1t may be as section rich in
agricultural possibilities. Or, finally,
the chief attraction may be as an
ideal tourist and health resort and
residential city. In attractive book
lets, II readable articles and we'll
worded. advertisements in the news
papers and magazines, in hospitality
extended to the stranger within the
city's gate, in every legitimate, en-
terprising and proper way. the cham
Der of commerce seeks the widest
publicity for it's city's special and
general advantages. In brief, it seeks
to place its city permanently on the
map and create for it a world wide
reputation as an attractive. CONNER
cial, industrial and residential COM
munity. In the great problems of
the day, whether they be local, state
or national in their scope and impor-
tance, whether they be civic, social,
economic, or governmental in their
character, in fact, in every question
which affects the welfare of the COM
munity directly or indirectly, nearly
or remotely, the chamber of COM
merce in strictly non-partisan and
non political way displays interest
and activity, and on all such ques-
tions it is the universally recognized
exponent of the best thought of it's
community. Whether the absorbing
question of the moment be a local
one which involves some problems of
civic development and extension, COM
mission form of city government or
system of house drainage Or the
improvement of the public schools, or
the wise and business-like eXpendi-
ture of the city budget, or the crea-
ton of new highway of travel and
commerce to and from the city or
whether that question be of such
far reaching Importance as to arouse
national or even international inter-
est, whether it be the exploitation of
the resources of the state, or the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river
from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Of
Mexico-or the construction of pro-
tected inland waterway from Maine to
Florida, or the establishment OF
steamship lines, on all these vital
questions it is to it's chamber of COM
merce that the citizens of COM
munity turn for correct information
and safe guidance. Much of the work
of the chamber of commerce, like the
work of the able editor of a high
class newspaper or magazine, is edu-
cational in character and cumulative
in value.
For projects which investigation
proves to be meritorious,the chamber
of commerce seeks to create public
sentiment in favor Of their accom-
plishment. This is a slow process,
often of months and sometimes years.
'The constant dripping of water wears
away stone however, and so it is
that, finally, under the cumulative
effect of the efforts of the chamber of
commerce, public sentiment becomes
public conviction, thought crystal
Lies into action, and the meritorious
project becomes the magnificent real
ity. The industrious husbandman
plants trees of which he himself may
never see a bearing Bread cast