The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1914-04-24
FIRST REPORT OF
The Secretary of the Greenwood Bust
ness League. Covering the period
September LIST, 1912, to and includ-
ing March 3lst, 1914.
Greenwood. Miss, April 1914.

April 1913, he had occupied the position
of Secretary only seven months. For
that reason he made no report of the
operations and activities of the organi-
zation for that short period, and be-
cause no report was made at that time,
this report covers a period of seventeen
months.
1t is not our intention to enter into
an extensive discourse covering all the
various efforts, failures and successes
attendant upon our ~endeavors, refer.
ring only to the more prominent ones,
for many bright prospects fail in the
final analysis to produce anticipated
good results.
We feel that we can point, with pride,
to some of the achievements of the or.
ganization since our occupancy of the
Office of Secretary, amongst them we
direct your attention to the following:
The securing of $50, 900 90 from the
United States Government TO aid in the
construction Of a main public highway
between Shellmound and Itta Bena
through Greenwood to the Hills at the
Carroll County line, which was contin'
gent upon the raising Of 800 100000 by
tHt CuuiltN anu ntNuiiHH ii'hA Wv WV
ernor of the State a recommendation
addressed to the Postmaster General of
the United State, favoring the expendi.
ture of the $50, 100000 upon the road in
question. Both Of these contingencies
became accomplished facts through the
activities and persistent efforts of the
Greenwood Business League. In this
connection it is but proper to state that
the matter was originally brought to
our attention by Hon. b. q. Humphreys,
who rendered great aid and assistance
in securing this large sum Of money
from the Government; without his
foresight and diplomacy we probably
| should never have secured any amount.
The contract for this highway was let
on the 9TH of this month, and under the
| contract the road is required to be com.
pleted within three hundred working
days.
Through negotiation with the Y. & NJ,
Y. h. II. we secured u through package
ear for handling l.. {. l.. shipments,
three days each week, from Greenwood
to points on the Y. Il NJ. '. K, r. be.
tween Tutwiler and Belzoni. Miss,
shipments going through to destination
loaded in station order and without de.
lays incident to transfer and rchand.
ling at Tutwiler. Such shipments now
| hours, whereas 1t formerly required
from three to ten days.
Through our efforts the location of
the chronological Laboratory OF the
U. s. Department Of Agriculture, for
the study and investigation of Cereal
and Forage crop insects was secured for
Greenwood, and two Investigators are
in charge, who cover Arkansas, Ala.
bama, Louisiana and Mississippi. The
Laboratory is located in North Green
wood, is quite interesting and well
worth a visit.
We entered into correspondence in
May 1913, with the Mississippi Inspec.
ton and Advisory Rating Co., Vicks'
burg, Miss, for the purpose Of asecr-
tanning what would be required of our
city to secure second class insurance
rating, we being at the time, in third
class. They advised that it would be
necessary for the Board Of Aldermen to
pass certain standard ordinances; pro-
vide a fire alarm system; three add
tional hydrants; 1900 feet of hose and
an additional fire station. They stated
that the difference in the rating or
saving to the insured would be from
Is cents to 40 cents on the $1,000 with
a few exceptional cases, where add.
tional risk had developed since pre-.
vious rating showing slight increases,
The Board of Aldermen having agreed
to comply with the requirements, the
new rates were made effective October
LIST, 1913. The total saving in the cost
Of insurance in the city is r~vatiye'
ly estimated at from 10000 TO $lG,.
600 per annum, one authority placing it
at $4,000 to $25, 600 per annum.
Through our efforts and personal 80.
licitati0n we were able to have the
Y. & NJ. V. X. II. arrange for the imme.
date construction of a spur track to
accommodate the Greenwood Hoop &
Lumber Co., at a greatly reduced figure,
the Hoop Co. positively refused to pay
more than $4,000 stating they would
70 elsewhere before they would pay
more. We succeeded in getting the
track in for less than that amount, Sc.
curing the plant whose pay roll will
probably amount to about $4,000 per
annum, when in full operation, in ad.
dition they will pay out many Thousands
Of dollars for timber.
During Christmas week our attention
was called to delayed passenger trains
on the Webb branch of the Southern
Railway. 1t being a fact that they
were reaching Greenwood 80 late that
passengers had no time in Greenwood
to make purchases and return home
same day, greatly to the detriment Of
the business of uur merchants. W.
took the matter up by wire and tele
phone and induced the Southern Rail
way Co. to put on an extra train for the
four days before Christmas, which en-
abled passengers to reach Greenwood
on time, resulting in largely increas
ed sales by our merchants to patrons
from points on the Webb branch, wht
under ordinary conditions would have
had to trade elsewhere, because of in
efficient train service to Greenwood.
In August 1913, We took up with thu
General Freight Agent, Y. Il NJ. v. X
r. and secured an amendment Of tn
cotton traffic, providing for sbipmen
to Greenwood for compression and re
shipment of cotton originating at Bel
, zoni. Harriet, Cooperage, CLANCY, stov
er, Brazil, Blue Lake, Ford & Dough-
Spur, Duggers and Easum, Miss.
! Througbt the efforts Of the Bushes
League a largely atten1ed good road
convention of citizens and taxpayer
Of the counties Of Tallahatchie, Iefiore
Carroll, Holmes and Madison vas he'll
at the Court House here January 18th
1914. With a view Of seeking Stat
!. aid in the construction Of a main pub
lie Highway between Clarksdaic an
Jackson, Miss, with branches to Pareh
man and Bel DIN and Belmont Convic
Farms, the ultimate object Of the cor