The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-28
WHAT NEWBERRY LOSES.
Greenville Piedmont says Commercial
Organization Necessary to
Growth of TewRs
Greenyille Piedmont.

ing upon the dissolution Of the New
berry chamber of commerce says
that while it regrets that such step
was necessary it does not look upon it
as a calamity, saying that it thinks
the idea that the commercial organi-
zation is necessary to the growth of a
town is a mistakes one. ''To lay TOO
much stress on commercial organlza-
tions," says The Observer is to in
culcate the idea that town cannot
well get along without ene-Which ls
not a fact They may help but they
do not create business and are in no
sense necessary. Some towns have
been very prosperous without cham
bers of commerce and some are now
and we do not hesitate to class New
berry among them. Anderson IS aoth-
er: for Anderson has no commercial
organization now. Where is there a
more wide awake or more progressive
town."
We are somewhat surprised at these
views of our contemporary. While 1t
may possibly be right in its statement
that towns can prosper without cham
bers of commerce, we insist that the
degree of prosperity can hardly be as
great as if such organizations existed
in them,
Take Graenville for instance. This
city has for the past four or five years
been enjoying an unprecedented
growth. New enterprises have gone up
on every hand and many more are IN
prospect. We promise to lead the State
in growth. 1t is possible, indeed high
ly probable. that the city would have
grown if we had had no chamber OF
comm merce, but the growth would not
have been near so marked. We have
two new million dollar cotton mills
that we would most probably not have
had if it had not been for the chamber
Of commerce or board of trade. we
have secured dozens of other indus
tries, some great, some small, directly
through the organization. While we
may naturally have grown some, had
we not had commercial organization,
would have fallen far short of the re-
cord we have made.
The Observer points TO Anderson
and Newberry as towns that have pros
pered without commercial organiza-
tions. We are unfamiliar with condi-
tions in Newberry but We have not
been led to look upon it as a growing
city.
Now as to Anderson. While we do
not wish to cast aspersions upon that
city or any of its people, some OF
whom are as fine folks as can be found
in the world, it must be admitted that
that town has not advanced IN the
past few years as it should have or
could have had the proper efforts
been made. We are inclined to think
that the Anderson folks will admit
this themselves. There seems to have
been totally lacking in that town the
spirit of cooperation which is so nee
essary to the growth of a city. Such a
spirit can best be engendered. by an
organization such as a chamber of
commerce. Organization is necessary
in this day and time to accomplish
things.
Anderson today has one of the most
miserable depots in the State. 1t is a
ramshackle wooden affair that looks
like it might fall down at any time.
The town has had very poor railroad
schedules which have meant the loss
of much money to the business men.
A real live chamber OF commerce
could have remedied these matters.
While ON their face they do not appear
to be so important they really are if
one gets down to the facts. There are
dozens of other more important things
than this that live chamber of COM
ulerce could have acted upon.
About the only noteworthy enter
prise that we can recall that Ander-
son has secured in recent years is the
woman's college. If We mistake not
this was secured by the Anderson
chamber of commerce before that Or
ganization went out of existence.
The Anderson papers, We see, real
ize the necessity of their city having
a chamber if it is to keep pace with the
progress of the other towns of the
State and are continually calling upon