Weekly journal-miner., 1915-03-17
SMOKER INJECTS NEW LIFE INTO
 CHAMBER
LOCAL CIVIC BODY GETS RENEWED ENTHUSIASM FROM EATS AND POW WOW LAST NIGHT
(From Fridays Daily.)

Chamber of Commerce foregathered
 last night at a smoker at Graham's
 Cafe, supplemented by a number of
 good citizens whose names should be
 on the roster of that organization.
 The collation. was happily devised
 by Mine Host Graham and served
 without hitch. The cigars and other
 smokables were of high order of
 excellence and the punch had flavor
 suggesting that the reign of grape
 juice as an aid to oratory has really
 begun in Prescott.
 The smoker was held under the
 lble leadership of Mayor Timerhoff, chairman of the committee on recep- sion and entertainment and the pro- gram consisted of short, snappy speeches, nicely interspersed with musical selections.
 So good were many of the things in the speeches that further report is justified. The same will appear ill .hese columns tomorrow. President Aitken had prepared a thoughtful ak, which sounded the keynote for the speakers who followed. MT. Aitken's address is printed in full:
 What Chamber of Coommerce Stands For.
 No ambitious community can hope 70 expand its business interests, in crease its population, or enhance its property valaes, except through the medium of a centralized effort, or in other words its citizenship must pull together with that unanimity of pur- pose which has characterized the sue cess of every prosperous and growing ,ity and county ill the West.
 Each and every one of you, have n mind at this moment, some such community, and that it was made prosperous through an organized ef- l 'ort, whether the organization was called chamber of commerce." boosters club or what not, the lame does not matter, the result was he reward.
 Some distinguished writer, says that l chamber of commerce is "a non political agent of prosperity" and | certainly like this "boiled down" def | milton.
 The chamber of commerce is a place where all business interests should meet upon a common plat :orm, and discuss without malice hose questions as are pertinent to he commerce of the district, and lse the word commerce" advisedly, IS it spells that medium of distribut- ng the almighty dollar, which all of IS must get a whack at in some form 1T other, else the cupboard will get ,mpty, and the clothes become shabby.
 Unfortunately some communities lave not succeeded in getting to- gether with a full understanding as to vho should constitute the personnel of chamber of commerce, but 1 hold hat it means every one in the dis rict, and 1t does not matter what the nature of his business is, whether merchandising, banking, railroading, mining stock raising, professional, Jerk, or wage-earner of any class, each and all have an equal respon- ,ibility in the expansion and prosper ty of the community in which he has ,ast his lot, and it should be the duty : )f each and all to assist in the work, nd contribute something to the sup port of the chamber of commerce.
 To the young man, l say particular y, that he get in touch with the busi- ness affairs of his community, and the quicker he does this, the more he will realize its benefits in later years, when these responsibilities must ot necessity fall upon his shoulders, that s, if he has any ambition to be other han hireling.
 A chamber of commerce is not the place to promote individual interests, ! or to exhibit personal dis1ikes, or to ,, larbor petty jealousies, as it must {, work for the best interests of the N community as a whole.
 I have in mind a certain success ul district of this state, whose citizen i; hip pulled together, both in and out . ,f their sessions, when it came to the s point of pulling together in order to T encourage capital to invest, but these h anne people, as between themselves, fC would steal the buttons off each 'ther's coats, if given half a chance. fl Now, the needs of chamber of a commerce. are many, but none that re impossible or unreasonable. fl It needs money with which to main Il ain an office, a secretary and such | ssistants and supplies as are neces- a ary to prosecute intelligent cores tC ondence and advertising. Ie