The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-03-21
FRIDAY, MARCH 81. 1913.
COMMERCIAL CLUB FEDERATION

men working together accomplish
more than the am two men working
separately. As Mr.. Rastall put 1t at
the Commercial club dinner on
Thursday night a We'll organized and
we'll drilled football team Of quite in
significant men can play all around
any eleven men who can be selected
who have not had that organization
and drill. That fact is the basis of all
commercial club work. The %organiza.
lion Of q. commercial club does not
imply that the members are to dis
continue their efforts for the promo
ton Of their, own separate lines Of
business. No matter how many clubs
or associations are organized. the mer-
chant will seek trade, and will con-
tnue to be the rival of his neighbor
in the same line across the street.
Each man will continue to look after
his private interests. That is what
he is in business for.
The club exists. not for the promo
ton Of the individual business Of any
man. but for the promotion OF those
general interests in which all share,
and in whose promotion all benefit.
Every contribution that is made to the
general prosperity Of the city is a con
1ibution to the welfare Of every per-
in that city, and IL a club is oper-
eed along right lines 1t will bring to
the community added prosperity, and
will thus enable each individual to de-
tive a greater benefit.
Exactly the same principles which
tnderlie the association Of individuals
n . community in a local club apply
10 the organization Of the clubs them
solves in a large district into a general
association. The state federation of
clubs has nothing to do with localities:
e cannot deal with questions which
involve specially local interests. Its
wofk~suuseSbsrof q general character
4 It IL to be a success. and there IL an
abundance Of general work for it to
DO. r
Such matters as the promotion Of
road Improvement. the proper adjust
ment Of freight rates, the study of
problems Of taxation and others of
this class affect the interests of the
whole state. ana afford abundant OBJ
portunity for the work Of a great state
association. These things can be han
died to better effect by an organization
Of all the clubs Of the state than by
the same clubs working separately,
but without any effort to correlate
their efforts.
Most important Of all the work that
can be undertaken by such a general
association is that Of promoting the
settlement Of the farming districts
Of the state by actual farmers who
will make their homes on the land
After all. 1t IL in this that the real
prosperity Of the state. country and
city alike, depends. The state needs
more people on the land. withou,
those people all other development,
must wait. With the land properl,
occupied the way is open for all othe,
Improvement Of which the state 1,
capable. With a denser agricultural
population the road problem will be
reduced to its simplest terms: the
matter Of manufactures will be pu,
m a fair way to take care of itself;
markets will be made for the prod.
ucts OF all the industries that car
properly be established here: farmin,
Will be Intensified and diversified; bus.
e will be transacted on short-tim.
credits. 80 that n dollar may b,
made to do as much work al man,
dollars and now needed for. All o
these things will be the direct result
Of concentration Of effort on the peo
ping Of the agricultural districts. an
here Is no task to which the unite,
commercial clubs Of the state can ad
dress themselves with better prospect
Of good results.