Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-03-10
WRITER IN MODERN
METHODS TELLS OF
COMMERCIAL CLUBS
CONTINUED from page -

INK Oh nlSn lutdlS may not appear
TO men OF purely dollars and cents
minds, but IL lis worth the while OF all
OF us to get away from the money
feature now and then. Ii will pay US
TO adopt as motto for a time that of
a Missouri town, Get acquainted with
your neighbor. You might like him"
The place to begin to inculcate the
home town spirit is with the children.
If local patriotism is TO increase and
to be more prevalent feeling with
the next than with this generation, the
children must be taught the import
ance Of working for their community.
Then, too. the youngster who learns
the advantages of standing up for the
town, Of buying at home, and of other
desirable principles will not hesitate
to mention those things at home when
such subjects come up. And the home
folks are always influenced by the chill
dren. The local newspapers may be
induced To offer prizes for the best
editorials on what can | do TO make
my town better?", TO be written by
students in the schools. Local bust
ness men can be induced TO make talks
to the school children on the advan
age Of a home town spirit If the add
vantages of buying at home are thor
oughly inculcated in the children il
will not be long before there will be
a perceptible decrease in the money
sent to catalog houses.
The commercial club should not stop
with showing mp the eXaggerati0ns or
the dishonesty of the advertising of
outside concerns. Ii should deal firm
ly with anything in the home mer-
chants advertising that Yerges on the
unfair or the deceitful. The less of
misstatement there is in advertising,
the more reliance the public will place
upon il. one dishonest advertisement
may cause a number of readers to dis
credit for years not only the advertis-
ing Of that one man, but OF all others
as well. 1t is for the general good
of the towns business interests that all
advertising of all kinds be held down
to the facts. A reckless, careless adj
vertiser cannot be allowed to go ahead
until he ruins his own business by his
tactics, because in the meantime he
will harm the business Of all his fellow
merchants
The industries that support the town
ought To receive consideration at the
hands Of the organization OF local bust
ness men. 1t is even desirable that
exhibits of home products be held in
the form of business shows or fairs.
Where the products are largely or en-
tirely agricultural, an agricultural
fair is OF course the best plan Where
, there are manufacturing enterprises,
the exhibit may be carried out in a
Made in Blankville" week, when each
store gives up a show window to the
display of some product of local manu-
facture.
The legislative interests OF a com
munity are properly part of the care
if the commercial club. Where special
legislation is wanted for any local pur-
pose the club can promote IL better
than any individuals. and when the
influence Of the business men is want
ed TO help secure the passage or defeat
Of a measure, the communication from
the commercial club, representing the
entire business interests of the village,
will have a great deal more weight
than such separate individual com
munications as might otherwise be
sent in. I'm union there is strength"
particularly where political interests
are involved.
In the matter of securing better
service from any public utility or pub
TIC StINlCt COMPANY lut
club is the most effective means. In
dividuals can do very little with
lighting company, "a railroad or "a water
supply company. one man is usually
practically helpless TO procure any bet
ter service, but when united body of
business men start out to find out why
from such a company, the manage
ment usually pays some attention to
the complaint or inquiry.
In the same way that well lighted
streets have a money value to the bust
ness men and TO the taxpayers OF the
town. so we'll paved streets, clean
streets, attractive streets, have a value.
All these things count in making peo-
pie feel a greater local pride and
more sensible responsibility for their
share in promoting the home spirit.
The commercial club should watch
municipal expenses and, if there seems
reason for it, even go so far as to
pay an expert accountant TO examine
the public records of the handling of
funds The matters which seem to be
nobodys business because they are
everybody's business may be taken
care of by the commercial club with
out causing offense. Many things may
be done by the club which no individ-
ual would assume responsibility for.
Scientific management of the towns
business affairs may be brought about
through the commercial club when no
individual would think of taking steps
to effect such a plan. Science may be
introduced into many other than mere
business matters-sanitation for in
stance; sewerage systems, police mat
tiers, educational facilities, fire protec-
ton, etc.
The commercial club may well
show it's interest in local schools by
contributing a sum of money annually
TO be used as prize money in such
way as the faculty may decide. 1t can
interest the churches of different
denominations in cooperative work
for community advancement through
common organization or by giving
them representation in the club itself.
IL can influence the local newspapers
to give up space to showing how the