The Detroit times., 1916-02-28
Herbert Corey Tells of
Their Growing
Influence
DETROIT
AS AN EXAMPLE
Efforts During 1918
Hard Tines Paid,
He Says
BY HERBERT COREY.

NEW YORK, Feb. 4S.-Ten years
ago, the chamber OF commerce in
the average small city was sort
7 OF cross between an old men :
home and hay and feed store Peo-
PIE only visited it when they want.
cd TO deplore about something. +
bore the same relation 10 the city :
activities that the statue OF blind
justice does 10 the county court
Nowadays the chamber ~ com
merce Is APP 10 be- 4 part ot the
works II the town amounts 10
anything II has a chamber worth
Dragging about
There is Detroit. for example.
When the hard times hit Detroit in
1913 men out OF work began 10 dock
10 The Board OF Commerce buildiag
They had not been invited They
came as the result OF an accident
But the board got 20 work upon their
vorklcssness. and what might be
called the Detroit discovery vas the
result. Thai IS that it IL mora or
less up TO the employer TO keep his
employees az work. no matter if Zines
are hard II paid Detroit Pad m
dollars and cents While the roard
ras working ar II another discovery
was made
Few OF these men write o- read
tic English language.
SO that the board has organized
school Of citizen hip. in which the
lsV material Is taught What Amer.
ica really Is, beyond being a place In
" hich extrayagant wages are paid
and in which ono sometimes md
ones self unsccou9'ably our of
work. II is paving Detroit Tho
men become better wo-km-n TleiE
outlook upon life enlarges 20 hat
they BUY little homes instead %
planning % 20 back 20 Hungary
when they have earned enough
money They live better and their
children eroN I'd Ike veltfed and
vell-dressed YOUNG Americans
Cleveland Chamber OF Commerce
Inade that discovery before Detroit
did.
These two cities have an eror.
nous foreign element 20 deal Nth
Elsewhere the problems arc some
what different Bgnalo's cham ger
finds It worth while 10 keep An eve
upon domestic affairs The only con
siderable dints made in The last -ar.
in Law followed The hrass-toed Il
tacks made by Buffalo chamber
The Buffalo body looks out for tho
interests OF Buffalo business men.
II acts a. a sort OF sales orgaciza-
ton
One Of the notable activities %
Chicago's Association Of Commerce
Is the extension OF foreign trade IN
FIVE years the association sper, So.
900 in South America and there are
parts ~ South America In Rhlct ne
city is Far better known than Nev
York. There arc ~ Chicago agents
In South America alone Tho agso-
citation aims 70 Furnish every foreign
buyer Nth every bit of information
he may need n necessary the buv-
er ia taken % the Information
ST. Louis has strong business
/ organization. One ~ is little
schemes II the package car systom.
devised by the Organization and as
sented 70 b. the railroads By n
goods IN less than carload lots are
delivered IN schedule time al over
! the country \ huge map has boen
! prepared on which wavering concen.
! tric Ines IN rcd mark Tho zones
from one days delivery ~ 10 "
, 'he package does no, roach it- dos
I tinatlou on time some one zoea
/ down 20 The once of the offending
road and gets an explanation A
score card Is issued showing iust
7hs' roads make good their prom
ises and what ones do not.
Cincinnatis chamber o. tryiun 10
beaufIfy Cincinnati far business roa.
sons More park and better stree,
cars pay dividends. Two years ago
q "Paintup and cleanup day vas
Z planned On that day every one
moved the abandoned hoopskiris and
obsolete valises ard boxes full ~
Cooley ladies book into tho street
Then tho street vas swept and the
T householders painted their premises
II vas A frightfully uncomfortable
town 20 I've in for one who value
| peace ~ mind above Ere insurance
rates Brt tho 1re loss ~ - ,s0o. 900
iu 1912 vas cut 10 $500. 900 In 1914
The ssyinz in fro Insurance rates
, ~ tho corgosted dopntovn district
alone wav $3.50 .000
rhe Cincinnati chamber also
watched for svlndlrrs
/ Ailvool pants g.
That vas the advertisement OF an
imported merchant not long ago. Tb