Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-07-22
COMMITTEES ARE SELECTED
Plans Under Way To Make Or
ganiZatiOn Far More Effec-
tive In This City.

If Tuesday evenings luncheon Civ
en- by the City Commission TO the
directors of the Board of Trade, rep
resentatives of The Republic, and to
representatives of the newspapers,
attains its objective, it has the prom
Use of being one Of the most import
ant events that has ever taken place
in Alma, as it will be the means of
fostering an organization that will
60 far towards solving the big prob
lens that are facing Alma in such
a critial way at the present time.
And that the organization will come
is not doubted in the least by the
two dozen men of the city who at
tended the function.
Following most delightful lunch
con, served in the firemen's room of
the new fire station, James G.. Kress,
city attorney acting in the capacity
of postmaster, started a forensic
ball to rolling, by telling of the pur-
pose of the meeting, the re-organiz-
alton of the Board of Trade. with
paid secretary devoting his full time
to the work in order that the vital
questions in Alma may be met and
solved with a far greater degree of
satisfaction than at present. Mr..
Kress called attention to the live
board at Mt. Pleasant, and the way
that it secured its funds. 1t was
said that the Mt Pleasant board has
$4,000 pledged for this year and
that it expected to collect at least
$12, 900 of this, which would be avail
able for the securing of new indust-
ries, or advancing community inter-
est in other ways. 1t was said that
assessments made on Board members
there ran from $1,000 to $1,000.00
per year. there being two assess
ments of the latter amount.
Charles G. Rhodes, president of
the Alma Board of Trade was called
upon for his views regarding the
matter. Mr. Rhodes, a member of
the Board Of Trade here for years,
compared present conditions in AL
called attention TO the way that AL
ma went after the Cameron Car
company about fifteen years ago,
pledging at that time around $4,000
but then losing the concern. He
spoke of the cooperation that Alma
gave when The Republic was first
started, of the raising of $4,000 with
which the concern was launched, and
started on its career, and from which
it is in eight years grown into the
worlds largest exclusive truck fact
ory. He spoke of the new manage
ment of the company. and said that
if Alma was wise, she would give
the new interests 100 per cent CO.
operation all of the time He stated
that the company would probably
come to Alma shortly with a home
building proposition, in which the
city should cooperate in every way.
The interest that f. w Ruggles has
in Alma was mentioned, especially
his interest in home building in this
city. Before coming to close, Mr.
Rhodes brought out the present
condition of the Board of Trade, the
few members who attended the meet
ings that were called-the small in
terest being shown-making a thrill
ing comparison with the vim which
Alma went after things in former
years.
John c. Chick, city commissioner,
and director of the Board of Trade
was the next speaker. He stated
that Alma had reached a point, where
something must be done to put the
city ahead, or else it would slip
back-there was no chance that it
could continue as it is. He brought
out the method of financing the St
Johns Board of Trade. and the vari-
Gus grades of assessments, $1,000
being the lowest there. He stated
that in Alma few men had been
doing the work that public spirited
citizens should all cooperate in, that
others selfishly stood back, willing
TO harvest the cream. Of someone
would only do the work. In clos
ing he stated that these conditions
were getting worse in Alma, and
that something needed to be done.
ID. J.. Johnson, for several years
the secretary of the board Of trade,
who, as is well known. does not be-
gin 90 receive a return financially
for the work that he does for the
board, was the next speaker. He
said in part:
81 came to this dinner tonight
with the understanding that the
chief topic under discussion would be
the housing situation, and had hoped
that ! might find opportunity to
get a few ideas along that line off
my chest But you and the speak
ers preceding me have turned the
tide of thought along lines much
broader and deeper than the mere
detail of housing our growing popu-
lation. personally have felt that
the housing situation is one of the
most vital questions in our program
Of city building at this time, but ]
may be mistaken. Ard who shall