Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-03-20


Club tonight was, once more post
poned, this time until after the drive
Tor members Las been completed It
was decided to then call mass meet.
ing as q reception to the new men-
bers. Announcement Of the plans for
this meeting will be announced to the
public through the press at the proper
time.
What C. Of c. Should Do.
A number of questions have been
asked in regard to the work OF a
Chamber of Commerce in q commun-
lily In order to be successful a Cham
Der OF Commerce must realize its duty
and provinces. 1t must complete it's
organization upon some approved
plan similar to the successful crgani-
cations existing at the present time
in hundreds OF cities in this country.
After it is properly organized il must
endeavor in all right and full ways
to keep tie organization alive to its
best work and also continue to inter-
est other citizens who are non-mea-
bers in the advantage Of joining such
an organization.
1t must give the city the right kind
OF publicity, it must know the value Of
and how to secure local publicity. 1t
should conduct a vigorous campaign
to secure the location Of new citizens.
Tho use Of booklets and folders at
tractively printed and telling the truth
about the city and its resources should
be published and circulated. Many
cities use special publicity in a form
Of annual post card days display adj
vertising and in other ways. Other
cities have found Il an advantage to
organize and conduct their own spo-
cial news bureau and ii is also highly
important that the Chamber of Com
meree should look to the proper fnan.
ciag Of its publicity fund. One of the
most important things for the Cham
Der of Commerce to interest itself in.
Is the matter of locating industries II
should know how to locate prospective
industries, how to judge good indus
tries from bad ones. 1t should under
stand the various methods which have
been successfully used by other cities
to assist in the location Of industries,
such as the development company
plan, the credit plan the town lot
method and the incubator or power
building system One OF the most
valnabe things that q Chamber Of
Commerce can do for city Is in The
way Of securing conventions. The
holding OF conventions in city are of
material benefit in advertising the
city.
Conventions are secured both by
letter and personal campaign. Many
cities organize their finance and con.
vention bureaus and II is also well not
only to secure the conventions, but to
know how to entertain them after
they are secured The Chamber of
Commerce must assist the retail mer-
chants Of the city with the end in
view of extending the city retail trade.
II must know how to conduct shop
ping carnlvals and refund of cam.
pasn. II must also realize the efll-
cacy Of cooperative advertising in
new territory, celebrations, pageants
aud similar shows are good trade get
4 tors when properly conducted In the
extensions # the city Wholesale mar.
ket the Chamber of Commerce con
ducts trade excursions. organizes cred
1t associations, increases the market
by advertising in new territory, maxi
ing an effort to secure additional
Wholesale houses and conducts buy.
ees' excursions. In the matter OF
street building and cleaning the Cham
Der Of Commerce should work for bet.
ter streets and should know the prop
or materials for building improved
streets, It should also look to making
the building OF streets as economical
MS possible and set itself to secure
city ordinances for cleaner streets.
In the matter of transportation the
Chamber Of Commerce should under.
stand how to work comparatively with
the railroads; should know how 20
organize and conduct traffic bureau
and how to adjust freight rates thru
this means With reference TO tho
city beautiful the Chamber OF Com.
mcrco should ondeavor to secure i'd