Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-12-14
THE SMALL TOWN
COMMERCIAL CLUB
An Invitation to Citizens to
Get Together.
FOR CIVIC BETTERMENT

The Organization Should Be Made Har-
monious With the Spirit Of the Times
and American institutions - Every
Trade and Profession Should Be Rep
resented.
The presence of Il chamber of com
!merce i'll Il community is il taCit invita-
ION to the people in that community to
Get together and do something for
their town and indirectly for them
selves. The towns success means
their success. Men rs an organized
lnit form the connecting switch for
bringing power into community life
.nd action. You cannot run I'm engine
ny its headlight.
1t is an extraordinarily good town
fNat is not susceptible Of Improvement.
Just how far IL chamber OF commerce
program should go. however, and what
It should cover require careful con-
siderAtion. Many organizations over
shoot the mark and frequently fail
10 hit the point ut which they aim.
chambers of commerce have liInita-
lions, and the danger of failure is
tossened il the program is not too am,
i'itiouS. This is particularly true of
the country town work.
The leaders in the small town com.
nor,int war, ;y,+t>,, .,I,,,1J H., .lI, L.,
i,armonize conflicting opinions on the
work in hand and make united action
possible, for i'll much counsel there is
wisdom. and what is Il difficult task
FOR the Individual is chiId's play for
The many. When some one plans to
lielp the town, l'!all to help the plan.
whether fustcrrd by your organization
~ some other.
No one should launch IA movement
without expecting to encounter obsta-
r{cS. All progress is a struggle. And
why not IL clash of arms once in
awhile: There is no fun in winning
all the time. 1t is extremely human to
see things differently, and perhaps the
'tiler man is right. Right or wrong.
our chamber Of commerce should be
u filter through which things are pass
ID along polished and better. The
dreSa and the impractical clements
Will stop at the right place if intelli-
Sonce is Il component part of the filter
II your spirit OF lrogrcssiveness is real
and fully alive and your men are will
ing TO come together. not In mute ac-
quicsccnce. but 10 think and plan and
with you. you have struck the OBJ
nortuuc moment to stage your perform
Ancc. The next move is to train your
actors. Every member should be made
70 count in worth while movements.
Make your organization harmonious
with the spirit OF the times and our in
stltutions. Let tie personnel Of the
membership he all inclusive and thor
nhghly democratic. The diamond in
nc rough may iii future years be your
most earnest worker. Have every
sradt, every profession. every conStruc-
we activity represented on Your roster
10 enable You to reach just conclusions
III your deliberations. The many mind
"d and mixed motived, the grave and
me gay, either will be helped or will
1elp you. Personal fruds will vanish.
and the advantages to be derived from
working together will gradually be re-
silzed. The suspicious one who places
merchants i'll the same class with horse
thieves and who regards IA commercial
club q, an organization existing solely
'or the p%tylo5" OF boosting the price Of
groceries will discover that he is mis-
taken. YoGr members will a~lpreciate
Jheir intrrlependcNcc when upon closer
acquaintance liStru>t gives way to re-
Spect. Getting acquainted pavcs the
Eay 10! cooperation. \ movement
bat is started right gathers
tum as it goes.
Common sense in abundance must be
used by a commercial organization in
It's plans to bull! up Il town. You will
have much competition. If YOU seek
industrial plants be modest in your eX.
s'ectations. Perhaps at your feet lies
a field far richer than that of elusive
factories. Get away from the ortho-
iox idea of the necessity for bringing
large manufacturers. conventions. cir
fuses, etc. to town unless they will be
3 means to a desirable end. Before
advocating great industrial expansion
why no enter upon a program Of pre-
~ftaredness on n less %pretentious scale?
Fry keeping the dollars at home by
means of attractive programs on holt
hays and by calling attention to your
present resOurces.-American City.
An Economically Run Town.