Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-07-22
Board of Trade May Be
Reorganized Very Soon
Full Time Paid Secretary Manager Needed to Handle
Work is View of Prominent Business Men


lies the solution of our present diff
ficulties.
"Who shall say? What we need
most in Alma to-day is man who
has the time and brains to find out
what our real problems are, and the
capacity to direct the solution of
those problems. Our housing prob
lem is one and the other speakers
have mentioned some others. There
are many and always will be- Build
ing a city is always a problem.
What we need is a man specially
trained in city building to devote his
entire time and energy to the task
of directing the forces which are
here and which shall build and inn
prove our city. Our POSTMASTER
asks if / think we need full time,
paid manager, and ! say we have
needed one for the past five years
and will always need one.
1--WE do not always recognize the
problems confronting us. Future
growth of the city will continually
bring out new situations demanding
expert attention. This cannot be
given by the Commission and their
manager. They are doing excellent
work. But their sphere of action is
limited by legal restrictions, and
they have their hands full. We can
help them-that is one of our prob
lens. There are many others. /
might mention a few of the most
pressing.
There is uppermost the building
situation, and incident to it is the
matter of building code. No Mil
lerville would get past live Secre-
tary. Nor would some other things
occurring daily along that line get
past if public sentiment were directed
against it.
Securing and locating new indus
tries would be the most important
work of paid manager, but it would
be his business as we'll to investigate
and pass up undesirable ones. City
zoning has the idea of properly To-
eating the various clements which go
to make up city. Hospitals,
schools, parks, play grounds, fact
ories, water works, gas plants
where to locate them. This needs
study. Depot facilities-these seem
to need hammering day and night
The highways leading into Alma are
not what they should be. Sign
boards should direct tourists how to
get here by the best routes. Who
puts the sign on the public highway
near Howard City. "Manistee 99.3
miles" with an arrow pointing the
way
planning of subdivisions and the
proper location Of streets, alleys,
parks, play grounds, fountains, and
other public works demand expert
study and direction.
THE business section Of our city
still retains several unsightly, un-
sanitary, unsafe and Improbable
wooden rookeries which should be
replaced by substantial brick struct-
ures. These would be replaced, no
doubt, if the owners had the con-
fidence Of future growth and stabil-
ty of the city which a progressive
plan Of action would inspire. The
very lethargy of our business inter
ests in fostering such a plan is one
of our most serious problems, and is
most responsible for the lack of con-
fidence that retards our progress.
"The proper housing and financing
of Chamber Of Commerce and es-
pecially keeping public attention and
interest in its activities, require the
best thought and energy of trained
full time Secretary. We talk of CO.
operation and recognize its need
But what does cooperation mean?
In the first place it means some
thing to cooperate upon. The solu-
tion of the problems | have mention
ed and others constantly arising, is
the constant object Of our co-opera-
tive efforts. But greater than that
is the comprehensive construction of
"a greater and better and more
beautiful city. This takes trained
brains. Cooperation in the second
place means a proper direction of
the latent forces within our city
which must act in cooperation if
that result is to be accomplished
This takes time, energy, action. Who
among US is prepared to undertake
the task of directing those forces in
proper channels, and who could af-
ford the time necessary! We must
get it done for us. We must hire
the brains and the labor This means
that we must do what other pro-
gressive cities are doing-fit up
proper offices and work rooms and
put a man on the job.
"The forces and the sentiment are
here for the upbuilding of a great
institution real city-not only in
size but in quality as well. To build
such a city we must have director
"a skilled. energetic director. He
will intelligently put in motion the
forces which will not only solve the
problems that now so sorely vex u.s.,
but which will cause to grow a city
of which we may justly be proud"
Glen Crisp, representing II. D..
Minich, assistant treasurer of The
Republic. was then called upon by
Mr.. Kress, and after assuring those
present that il was his intention to
do everything possible to advance
the interests Of Alma, he read the