Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31
REVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SHOWS WORTH
OF SUCH AN ORGANIZATION TO CITY
BY P. w. BENDER,

jective for which the Cham Der Of
Commerce was organized-that o.
the promotion of the industrial
commercial, civic and agricultural
interests of the community-it has
nevertheless made war work pay
the stupendous dividend OF $12,,
100000 to the community This is
shown in a review OF the organiZa-
tons work during the year, and
indicates that even though il aas
had at times to divert its energy
into channels financially unproduc-
tive to the community it has never
theless fulfilled its mission and liv-
ed up to the most optimistic predic-
ton Of its organizers.
1t may be recalled that the Cham
| Der of Commerce was organized in
| 1917 through a consolidation OF the
! Business Mems association and the
/ rock Island club. A campaign was
| conducted at that time in an en-
| deavor to secure 1000 members
who would pledge themselves to
support a Chamber of Commerce for
three-year period. The campaign
| resulted in the signing up OF l,046
members.
| The intent Of the organization was
| to give Rock Island a community
organization and place behind the
city an organized force charged
with the possibility for making
| the community bigger and better.
! It's primary objective was to ad-
vance the city's interest Industrial
'y, commercially and civically and
to take such steps as were deemed
necessary to knit the rural com
munity closer to that of the city.
In the beginning many were appre-
hensive as to whether a chamber of
commerce could be organized under
The conditions existent at that time
and were skeptical as to whether or
Tot ii could weather the contrary
currents existing tnrou ghout the
city and emerge thererrom as an
organization thinking and speaking
for the entire city as a whole. AS a
result of the past years experience
IN prOmotional work and in war
work ii is believed that the Cham
Der of Commerce has thoroughly
demonstrated it's worth and con-
llusively proven that it could COM
bine the thinking forces of the city
sufficiently to speak the public mind
and do just what it proposed to do
to make the city bigger and bet
ter.
During the latter months of 1917
the exigenCies of war indicated that
the Chamber of Commerce would
not be permitted to function very
much along civic, Industrial and
commercial lines and that it would
be called upon to function largely
in behalf of a solution of the rising
war problems.
War Record.
The board of directors of the
Chamber of Commerce, appreciat-
ing the war situation, took the in
itiative and Immediately led out in
January of 1918 with a proposal to
combine all of the years campaigns
into one. 1t brought together all OF
the organizations that might be in
terested in such a campaign, gained
their approval and put through
" hat was known as the Patriots
fund, raising a war chest of s175,-
600.
This was Immediately followed
by the chambers turning its atten-
non to the placing OF the third LIB
erty loan. The third Liberty loan
was oversubscribed in the country
IS per cent.
One June % the Office gave its at
tention to the drive for the sale Of
war savings stamps and the secur-
ing of war savings pledges.
In August it proceeded to com
plete the organization of the finance
committee of the council OF defense,
making preparation to handle the
fourth Liberty loan. The fourth
loan was started on Sept. IS and
closed with an over the top lunch
con on Wednesday, Oct 8. This
over the top luncheon of Oct will
long be remembered as an epoch
in the history of Rock Island. The
fourth loan produced the largest
sum of money ever raised for any
purpose in the south half OF the
county. Practically sixteen thou
sand people subscribed to this loan
and produced bond applications for
So 100000
In September the directors Of the /
of Commerce took advan- +
tage of the governments appeal for +
greater sheep and FOOL production /
and improved its opportunity for
knitting the rural districts closer F
to Rock Island The board of di- f.
rectors borrowed $4,000 from the
banks Of Rock Island. purchased (
/ 900 head of sheep and distributed
them among the Rock Island cOun- T
tv farmers. They were distributed .
profit, the purchasers being I
given the advantage of purchasing .
high class breeding ewes an-i +
lambs without the inconvenience
and labor expense that would Ordi-
larily be involved N such an un-
iertaking If handled by the farmer
The movement stirred
Individual enterprise and interest in
sheep to the extent of another thou
sand head being distributed through
he initiative of individuals not on
he Chamber Of Commerce COM
nittee
In April a Chamber OF Commerce
visited the merchants
and disposed OF $50 road signs,
These signs advertising the city's
were 10 be placed along
-oads entering Rock Island cover
ng a zone Of 50 miles. These signs
we're ordered. but the manufactur-
rs of the steel standards and the
These county organizations must