The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-03-11
MoocHER OR BoosTER-wHIcH


! to cash in on the other fellows eff
forts, was put on trial and condemned
to execution. Ir his speech on "Does
a Membership in the Chamber of
Commerce Pay Dividends" Mr.. j. S.
Bird pointed out the values in dollars
and cents that comes to a city as re-
suit of organized effort, to say no
thing Of the spiritual satisfaction that
comes from the opportunity offered
to do something worth while for
somebody besides yourself.
In introducing his subject, Mr.. Bird
said: 81 want to change the subject
from 'Does a Membership If the
Chamber of Commerce Pay Divid=
ends" to ga Membership in the
Chamber of Commerce Does Pay
Dividends" That isn't debatable any
longer. Most, of US, when)we think of
this subject, think about dollars and
cents, so let US talk about dollars and
cents first, although 1 know most of
you are very spiritually minded and
don't care anything about the mater
ial, but let US take it from that point
of view
'Since l came here have been fig
uring on the number of people that
probably will visit Hays this year be-
cause of the organized effort of the
business interests in a Chamber of
/ Commerce. The Methodist Confer
ence will bring approximately thou
sand people during the four days of
its convention. The Masonic meet
ing in June will bring two thousand
people for one day. The Knights of
Columbus meeting will bring a thou
sand people. The Roundup, two or
three thousand The two teachers
meetings, probably $500, the Kansas
State Federation of Women's Clubs,
two hundred-ard those are only the
big things. People are constantly
coming here in one way or another
because of the fact that we have a
Chamber of Commerce organized to
get Hays before the public
Nov, suppose that ten thousand
people will visit Hays during the year
and we will assume they spend a day
each and while they are here spend
$500 each. That is $4,000. Now
Their, aren't you good enough business
men to get $500 back out of the
$4,000 that that alone will bring in
to the town? That is what the Cham
her of COnamoroo costs 11c q x1oor -,
dues and here is $4,000 worth of
business and that is a very low esti-
mate. It is nearer $4,000 worth of
business that comes into the town be-
cause of the fact that the town is or
ganized to put Hays before the public
and get them here.
"But, you say, of course, this
would come just the same The fell
lows will have a Chamber of Com
merce whether 1 drop out or whether
stay in OF course, that is for you
to settle, whether you are willing to
only exist, whether you are a store
keeper or a merchant, w ether you
have some vision about what you can
do~in more ways than simply the
earning of money for your business.
There isn't any question but that
from the dollars and cents point of
view, the money you invest in the
Chamber of Commerce is probably
the best investment, or one of the
best investments that you make dur
ing the year because it does bring
back returns.
'What would you think about a
business man, for instance, thatWould
attempt to do business all the year
without any stockholders meetings,
or any directors meetings, or any
special attempt to organize all of the
various elements that go irto that
business. What would you think of
Mr.sCochran as manager of the string
of banks that he has if he didn't have
any way of hooking things up to-
gether? Now, then a town is only
a big Cooperative business in which
each individual, each one of US, is
privileged to Owr some preferred
stock. There is our own home, our
own property, our own business but
there is a big, common interest that
we all have, just the same as any CO.
operative business and the more we
= unite in boosting that big, cooperative
? common interest, the bigger our re
turns.
CHOW then, we are talking purely
in dollars ard cents, we are not talk
ing about any Sunday School lessons.
If it is good to spend money foradver-
If it is good to spend money for ad-
vertising, then it is good to organize
in a cooperative advertising campaign
If it is good to advertise your individ-
ual business, it is good to advertise
your collective business. Hays, as a
collective business, can be much more
effectively put before the public if all
the mer in the town join together to
do it than if each individual tries to