The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-08
Object OF COMMERCIAL BODIES


8. u. KrasnoR Outlines What Cham
sber Of Commerce. Does and Tries
TO Do-Urgcs Citizens to Support
This MOST important Institution, as
Prosperity Of Community Depends
Upon Cooperation OF AL
Editor Sumter Daily Item:
Upon my arrival home from the
north. my attention was called to a
letter from Mr.. 8. E. Miller. appear
ing in your Issue OF February 9Th,
subscribing $25 to the Chamber of
Commerce. and offering further as
sistance BY way Of giving benefit
performance In his theatre.
|s While the spirit and intent Of the
Letter meets my fullest admiration Of
Mr.. Miiler's liberality, progressive
ness. and good intention. showing
him to be a public-spirited man Of
which we should be proud to have
among us; yet there is one word in
the letter which requires comment
and explanation. as It creates q
wrong impression about our Chamber
|of Commerce. ana. II you will allow
me space I would like to correct
came.
EVERY organizat alton. whether OF To-
cal character CIR Of national scope,
has for its basiG structure. or funda.
mental principle. = certain purpose
ana IDEAL. The church has It's prin.
ciple purpose: tile upbuilding Of NOR
slity; the =. n. @. A. has set its aims,
In addition to improving the moral
and religious ASPECTS in the communi-
ttes also the Developments OF physical
splture and scicial relations. The
Civic League II trying to develop ar
tistic tendencies ana the beautifying
Of the surrouHdin and many 9TH
sr organizations have some such pur-
pose In view upon which its member
ship has set it's mind to accomplish.
But among ell the societies and or.
ganixations. in my mind. there is In.
no organisation whose purpose ana
scope are so wide and beneficial---l
may say, 80 imperatively. needed and
SO little understood and appreciated
as is tho Chamber of Commerce. It's
aims and purposes arc SO extensive,
tts fundamental principles are 60
comprehensive ands multitudinous In,
their scope Of beneficial accomplish
nents. that cannot, fer the life Of
me. understand how. people can be
20. indifferent to- its existAnce. Either
sids we may turn, In any city you
may mention where progress. pros
perity and sound enterprise reign SUI
preine. you will find that a Chamber
OF Commerce is playing its part in its
development
Had 1t not been for tho Boards of
Trade. Chambers Of Commerce. Mer-
chants. Bankers and Manufacturers
Associations Of New York. Chicago,
Boston. Baltimore. and other leading
American cities. these places would
not be the financial wholess "a and
manufacturing centres Of America
today. ana the business iuen of these
cities freely admit thissto be true.
. In proportion to the Importance and
value OF systematic organized efforts
for extension of trade territory, and
increasing Of buainessr and trade, re-
-lations between Sum&ers and Its pres
'ent and much desired new trade terri
tory, the Sumter Chamber of Com
tmerce is of a. much value to Sumter,
considering the opportunities. az tho
trade bodies of tho leading cities Of
the country are to those places. Ed
ucation Of business men in Sumter to
modern methods Of doing business,
getting new business. and keeping It.
H. about as necessary as education of
the farmer to the Importance of di-
versihcation. cooperative marketing,
and other economic problems.
We do not have very far to 60 to
find that tho business men of a pro-
sressive little city, discovered that It
wac not what 1t cost to maintain a
Chamber of Commerce. that counted.
but how much lit. cost the city and
county to be without commercial
ORGANIZATION. Florence, s. c., where
they onco claimed to be as progressive
and prosperous as we are in Sumter.