Baxter Springs news., 1918-02-08
CULTIVATE YOUR NEIGH
BDR--Y0U MAY LIKE HIM
Baxter Springs Chamber Of
Commerce Advises Get To-
gether Campaign for
Upbuilding Of City

to its usefulness only by its financial
ability and the brains of the member.
ship. Its operating assets, like those
Of any other business enterprise, con-
sist Of money and brains. This i'm
plies a plan of organization that will
insure an adequate revenue and ele-
vate the membership into vision and
action. The efficiency of our organ
ization rests primarily upon the &C.
curate understanding of what our city
really is and what it might be made;
its needs and possibilities, the oppor-
tlnities for progress thru inherent
qualities, environment and geogra-
phical location; in agreeing upon
principles and policies and in choos-
ing the men that can set them in ac-
tion, focusing public attention to de-
sirable accomplishment of certain
ends or purposes, and in crystallizing
public sentiment in their behalf.
While the activities of our Chamber
must vary in accordance with our To-
cal needs and conditions and the un-
realized opportunities which lie about
us, they can not vary in the funde-
mentals which guide them. One pres
sing need may be in the reform of
he. local government, while another
may be the development Of certain in
,lustries for which by certain advan.
tdges we are as city ideally adapted.
In striving for civic betterment the
effort more often means what action
our local government (city counciD
rather than our organization shall
lake. Let it be clearly understood
that it is not the purpose of our
Chamber to usurp or supplant the
functions of our city government,
tut rather to cooperate with it with
Ihe view Of more efficiency and better
and more prompt service. Our Cham
cer should constitute itself into
clearing house of ideas, thoughts anG
of its constituency for ou
community's welfare; subject them to
4 sitting process and reduce the ac-
ceptable and feasible into form and
action, and to direct the focus of pop
nlar attention to gross public evils.
and the corrective means that should
be employed, and to desirable and
desirable and needed Improvements
that should be made, that will help
Us to build substantial city that will
not reflect inattention and inaction.
The various committees that have been
and under whose different
headings is outlined the different ac-
sivities our Chamber of Commerce is
iirectly responsible for, the results
obtained thru their labor, and any
Chairman or committeeman who can
lot conscienciously share their re.
,pective parts of the burden should
not stand in the way of progress and
he building up of our community.
The whole success Of any Organiza-
ion depends on the COOPERATION
hat it receives from the membership
IN different undertakings. No slight
mention should be made of the full
worth to a commercial organization
If the backing it gets from the news.
papers of the community. 1t is graf
flying to have the privilege Of reach
ng the membership and the public al
arge thru the daily local press col
ms and to be able to explain the
activities of our organization. If we
al hid our lights under bushel this
would be a dark world indeed. The
are our worthiest assist
tnLS anu Tic SuCCCbS VI many Va eAS
efforts are directly due
he cooperation they receive thru
publicity in the local press. They are
he moulders of public opinion, with
,ut which our efforts would be nj.
With the newspapers behind us in all
,ur efforts half our battles will be
ION before they are started.
Next Meeting Will Be Feb. 6
We do not feel like it is necessary
to give a resume of the last general
meeting as the attendance was excel
ent and the papers covered it nicely,
suffice 10 say that the minutes COW
cred eight full pages showing that
,ome ground was covered. "A very in
feature will be offered at
he next meeting, an outline Of which
will no doubt come out in the papers
he day previous.
C. L. Mariner, Sec'y.
hone ia, Goodeagle Building.