The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-05-07
PALATKA'S TRADE
BODIES SHOULD UNITE
For the Common Good-Ef-
forts to this End Now
Under Way.

Under way.
A house divided coainst itself is,
to say the least, donicile of wasted
energy. United in one harmonious
effort for tie common veal this en-
ergy is bound to make itself felt.
Palatka has a board OF trade, an
organization that has a record of sew
eral years work in behalf of the city
and county. This board is still an
active force in this community. There
have been times when its work has
seemed to be of the stereotyped or
der. By its manner of governance
through a board of governors, it has
in a measure gotten away from the
business men of the city who are sup
posed to sanction its work and who
pay the bills. The board has not
made noise enough. 1t has probably
failed to interest the younger set
of business men, and they in turn
have possibly felt that they were be-
ing ignored. Anyway there has been
an 1ndercurrent of feeling among this
class of young. business men that
there was lack of push and enter
prise such as an infusion of new
blood would ensure.
This feeling eliminated some three
or four weeks ago in a call for a
new organization. A meeting was
held in a vacant store on Lemon
street that was well attended. In
fact the attendance was large. This
meeting resulted in the organization
of the Putnam County Chamber of
Commerce. Some of Palatka's splen
did young business hustlers were
there and all were bubbling with en-
thusiasm for Palatka and Putnam
county. The sentiment at this meet
ing was more than once voiced "that
the new organization was not for the
purpose of antagoniZing the board of
trade, but to work where possible in
harmony with it"
In spite of this repeated expression
of harmony there has somehow crept
into the public noddle an impression
that these trade bodies were more
or less antagonistic. Some of the
members of the new body are be-
ginning to feel this way, and they
don't like the feeling.
They realize the importance of
harmony. Some of them belong to
both bodies.
In view of this suspicion of an
tagonism which has Enthusiastically
crept into the arena of business, the
Palatka News is glad that there is
even now an effort being made on
the part Of leading men of both
bodies looking toward amalgamation.
Overtures to this effect were made
by the newly organized Chamber of
Commerce at a special meeting of
the Board of Trade last Monday
night, when the following report of
the committee on conference of the
Chamber of Commerce was read:
"Your committee appointed to con-
fer with the Board of Trade on
amalgamation, beg to report and rec
ommend the following: O That the
monthly dues of the Palatka board
of trade be made fifty cents per
month; initiation fee fifty cents, same
to pay current months dues. (2)
That all members Of the Putnam
County Chamber of Commerce or
Palatka Board of Trade, whose mem
bership is paid up to date will be ad-
mitted to membership in the new Or
ganization without further charge
and to have full privileges. (3) All
officers of both organizations to re-
sign on or before the night of meet
ing of the new organization, and all
officers of the new organization to
be elected on that night. (4) That
| the name of the new organization be
"The Putnam County Chamber of
Commerce" incorporated. (5) That
copy of this recommendation be
submitted to the Palatka board of
trade for their consideration and ap-
proval at their first meeting" This
report is signed by B. E. Jarrett, NJ.
B. Cochrane, R. E. L. Mann and T,
R. Higgins.
The report of this committee on
amalgamation was unanimously
adopted by the Chamber of Commerce
at it's meeting on Friday last, April
30th
When 4his report was read at the
meeting of the board of trade on
Monday night it was discussed to
some extent and finally left in the
hands of a committee to report at
the next meeting.
This committee is composed of
Howell A. Davis, H. o. Hamm, Frank
D. Wattles, Walter w. Tilghman and
H. NJ de Montmollin. 1t is more
than likely that this committee will
be able to get together on some sort
of a compromising proposition, and
that if both bodies will keep their
heads cool and their hearts warm for
the welfare of Palatka and Putnam
county, that this movement for
amalgamation will succeed, as by
every consideration of progress it
should.
But there will naturally have to