The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-08-29
W ar Presents
Harvest Of
Opportunities
SECRETARY HOLWORTHY,
OF LAKELAND BOARD
OF TARDE, is OPTI-
MYSTIC
Has Been Investigating Condi-
tons, and Finds Outlook
Most Encouraging.

Atlantic Beach, Fla /, Aug 81.
TO the Editor of the Lakeland Even
ing Telegram:
While the existing war news has
occupied a reasonable portion Of
my time each day during the past
couple of weeks, have been far
more interested to discover from my
reading what seems to be the effect
OF the European conflict upon the
business conditions in Florida, both
with regard to tho present and also
the immediate lutnrH. have spent
Ia couple of days in Jacksonville,
calling on business men in various
lines and have also enjoyed an in
tercsting interview with the secre-
tary OF the Board of Trade, who is
perhaps in closer touch than any
other one man in the city with the
actual business conditions and out
look What I have seen and heard
has impressed me greatly and wish
that all our people in Lakeland
would take the lesson to heart and
profit thereby
1t is safe to say that looking at
the matter from one standpoint,
Jacksonville is hit harder as the re-
suit Of the war than any other city
in the State, and yet one cannot dis
cover any realization of this in dis
cussing the situation with her bust
ness men They agree that present
conditions are by no means unsat-
islactory and the outlook, says
Jacksonville's Board of Trade sec
retary, is for larger number of
tourists and prospective settlers
| than in any previous season 1t Is
, significant that the number of in
IQuirirs, 50 lar, during the present
| month, al the Jacksonville office, eX-
cccd those of any previous August
| injuries have come in from abroad
looking to the establishment Of in
dustres now paraized in Europe
Jacksonville will secure some of
these industries, but what is most
impressive is the earnestness she is
showing in determination to profit
by the war in establishing large
trade with South America. She can
and ! believe, will, do it.
Coming to the main point of my
letter, why cannot Lakeland profit
in a similar way? think it is an
incontrovcrtiblc fact that Lakeland
not only does not loyalty support
her own business concerns and 9TH
er industries, but that she acts as
though there were a wall around
the city intended to prevent any Of
her products or merchandise from
getting outside. | refer, however
chiefly to her merchandise. Lake
land merchants could GET large
part, at least, Of business which is
tributary to and reasonably be-
longs TO her but which is now 60
ing to Tampa, Jacksonville and 9TH
cr places. We have shr"wd, capa-
bic and aggressive merchants in
Lakeland, but We need TO get the
Atlanta spirit the spirit which
has made Atlanta the commercial
stronghold Of the South. We say
cod helps those who help them
selves, and We OUGHT to make this
crisis in the worlds history our op-
portunity for holding more strong
Ily what We now have and develop
ling more agarcssively the resources
lying all around us. Small profits
and quiet returns will make more
actual money for the merchant than
TO stand idly with his clerks,
around the store, waiting for
chance customer to whom he may
possibly make a sale with n larger
profit. Clerks not kept busy all
ptho time waiting for and on GUS
toners could 90 after business
which is waiting for them just as
it is for others who are going after
and getting it. We can strengthen