Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-05

Work. Men who want to see pro.
ject carried through are appointed
ON the committee to undertake the
task. Compared with the old days
Of organization incompetence, this
simple plan is q revelation. Before
this plan was generally adopted. the
personnel OF . COMMITTEES was pener-
ally Z compound Of Honorary k1em-
bers' who wouldn't, under any cir
cumstances. think Of really working,
and q corporal's guard OF Indifferent
ones. together with one fanatic who
was innocent Of any balanced rela-
tionship with the Organization as d
whole. Is 1t surprising that such
committees arrived nowhere? -
Under the new plan each task Is
carefully analysed, q special COM
mittee Of interested men is put at
work on the first step, money In the
treasury is made available for neces-
sary expenses, and behind the COM
mittee is the intelligent support OF
the once force and the officers OF the
entire organization. Regular super
vision Of the step-by-step progress or
each committee converts spasmodic
effort into steady advance.
BY having the purposes of an or
gAnixation clearly stated in a Pro-
gram Of Work. it 10 possible for the
executive officer to exercise effective
control over each committee as well
a. over the entire body.
With q comprehensive Program OF
Work handled scientifically. a COM
Ia q %.
mendous and an efficient force. The
directors can direct instead OF
guess" The president becomes a
real executive officer and the secre-
tary is not required to waste his time
on trivial things.
The business man who imagines
that he can live independently Of the
activities of his fellow citizens is
engaged in costly self-deception.
Every civilized man is dependent
upon others. The retailer needs Gus
toners: the lawyer, clients. the doc
tor, patients; the manufacturer. la
borers; the worker, employment.
Even the thief needs victims: the
snob, the gaping crowd: the tight
wad, an opportunity to hoard money
land pinch his spirit. Absolute "in-
dependence" may be the subject Of
foolish boasting, but it does not
exist.
The whole fabric of civilization is
so woven that no thread may be
neglected without the. imperfection
showing. 1t may appear like the va
poring Of a dreamer to gay that Cit
les must set about the development
OF citizens with vision; must create
fine community IDEALS: must raise
the standard of citizenship, even
though all other matters are neg
lected; but It is these intangible
things that have made cities great
all the way down through history
1t is not mere numbers that count.
For ages China had the most popu.
| lous cities Or the world. The black
population OF Africa far outnumbers
the white, but because it wants few
of the so-called necessaries Of life
there is little business in the black
regions; because no value is set upon
! the arts and sciences, both are alb
sent; because no high ideals hold
sway there is no progress.
There are scores Of American cities
with sufficient population to do the
work of ancient Athens or Florence
or Venice. But these American cities
lack the Spirit-the intangible force
to drive ahead on right lines. Per-
| haps 1t would be more nearly correct
to say that the American cities have
not organized their citizenship to the
end Of bringing out all the genius,
all the enterprise, all the vision their
people possess.
1t is this organization Of Spiritual
Forces for human advance, that the
chamber of commerce is called to
promote. Surely it is worth while.
Such work is immortal and the man
who engages in it will find that his
thoughts and his actions will be
guiding other men long after he Gas
passed to the great beyond. The
survival value OF his public efforts
will be projected into the lives Of
generations yet unborn.
compare this to the routine servi-
tude Of selfish endeavor, and choose
between.
Following this address. which was
to with intense interest the meeting
was thrown open to general discus
sion. A rapid fire Of questions, was
directed at Mr.. Ahrens, who briefly
answered such queries as what def
mite accomplishments have been at
tanned by Chamber of Commerce,
or similar organizations; What
has the Waterville Chamber of Com
merce DONE: Why is it necessary
to have a full time secretary. How
are committees kept at work ?" "How
Is the interest Of members not work.
ing on committees retained?" "Can
organization work be carried on by
local men," do you know of any
one who could come in and organize
this city thoroughly?" How much
does it cost?" What service is CIV
en- by the American City Bureau in
fulfilling their part Of the contract go.
Many other questions Of a similar ma.
ture were asked to all Of which Mr..
Ahrens gave concrete and effective
answers.
Following motion by Hon. Bene.
dict F. Maher that vote Of thanks
be given Mr.. Ahrens, a motion was
made for the chairman Of the meet
ing to appoint a committee of 10 to
thoroughly investigate the best meth.
DDS of organizing an up-to-date
Chamber OF Commerce. Both of these
motions were carried unanimously.
Among those present were: Hon. Bur-