The weekly Iberian., 1920-05-29
TO THE EDITOR OF THE IBE-

MAN.
DEAR SIR
The New iberia Chamber of
Commerce will soon iDaugnrate a
campaign for new membership ana
also renewals of the memberships
now on the rolls of your civic
institution. This was decided on
at a meeting of the board of
directors over a week ago for the
reason that the Chamber OF
Commerce needs additional i'm
petus IN the way OF new and
additional blood in the orgaDiza
tion, more funds and also active
committees who will work for New
Iberia, Iberia Parish and its
interests for the next fiscal year,
which will begin on July ID 1920.
The Chamber of Commerce OF
New iberia is less than one year
old but the members believe that
In that short period it has made its
presence felt for the benefit of all
For something like five months
the body failed to function to any
greet degree Of success, owing to
the fact that no active secretary
was employed until the first of the
year, when our present secretary,
Frank Noel, recently of Houston,
came here to take over the work
in hand.
The writer is q firm believer in
the present Chamber of Commerce.
He further believes that this is
the psychological moment, or year,
which every way you care to put
it, to strike and put New Iberia on
the may-tO stay.
Because of the fact that the
membership dues of the Chamber
of Commerce for the fiscal year-
July 15-1919 to July 15-192O-
were away below the standard
suggested by the Chamber OF
Commerce of the United States OF
America, of which the New Iberia
chamber is a unit, the dues will be
increased to meet existing circum
stances, so that the Chamber OF
Commerce may properly function
aud bring to the City and Parish
the prosperity it SO richly deserves
We have ascertalned that a
$5,OOO.a.year Chamber Of Com
merce will pay secretary's salary
. stenographer's salary, . porter's
salary, Office rent and band
leaders, monthly stipend; buy a
bit Of stationary, stamps and other
Office supplies, bnt it will not pay
for outside publicity and adver
tising, nor help IN any way to
develop our agricultural resources,
nor will it help to secure Parish
Demonstrators, nor will it furnish
the secretary with motor car, OF
It's upkeep. which will enable him
to keep in touch with the Parish
proper. All these things must be
considered IN entering into the
new fiscal year and under the
present prices of ali necessities
dollar buying 40 cents worth-il
will take anywhere from $S. 500 to
10000 per year to properly
maintain a chamber that will
really function. In addition to
this sum it is necessary that the
members cooperate to the full il
New Iberia's population and land
values are to increase There is
no guess work about this-it has
been proved.
A little chamber in Burlington,
North Carolina, with a population
OF just 5000; and another in
Chlllocothe, Mo both are operat-
ing on virtually ten.thoussnd.
dollars per year basis. They
found they could not function on
less and keep up with the process.
sion. Times are changing and we
are changing with the times-and
we must keep up with the times If
We are to recover our lost prestige;
lost through no fault of our own,
but because We failed to grasp the
situation. We are undergoing a
reconstruction period that is test
ing our very loyalty to the govern
ment as we'll as to our OWN CITY
but | believe that New Iberia will
come out with flying colors.
Further, l believe that our
agricultural possibilities should be
developed to the full. The Parish
10 raising large quantities of rice
and sugar, but there are other
essentials that should be grown
under the intelligent direction Of
Parish Demons traitor. st. Martin
Parish has such q demonstrat0r
and surely the Police Jury of
Iberia Parish will not overlook
the fact that Iberia Parish should
at least be on the basis of its
sister Parish or fall back into the
rut Of out of date production. We
are living in the age of the tractor,
motor car, motor truck and
aer0plane-let us not forget that
fact keep up with the times