Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-12-24
ILLINOIS CHAMBER
Of COMMERCE NOW
TOLLS FOR ILLINOIS.
LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AIMED TO
HELP EVERY CITY AND COM.
MuNlTY IN sTATE-oTTAWA
TO GET ITS SHARE OF BENEFIT,
SAYS CARROLL.
BY LEO CARROLL,
Secretary Chamber Of Commerce.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce
is undertaking a program to help de
yelCp the business growth of Illinois
along economic and systematic lines
Up to the present time there has been
no central agency in our state where
a bushes man might gather detailed
facts concerning all our towns and
cities as to the things each has to
offer to the prospective new business
Each city has worked carefully for
the upbuilding OF its own business and
has oftimcs worked on the theory
that any new business was good
business which theory has sometimes
resulted in Industrial and commercial
establishments being located in a com
munity which is not the most profit
able for the owners.
Then too. many cities have grown
lopsided from business standpoint
They are what are often called zone
industry towns" and when this indus
try is shut down tn people Of the city
are idle and have no other channel to
turn 20 for their livelihood
Included in the business building
rlan of our state chamber is a pro
gram TO help such communities an
alv7e their co7ditions and develop 3
list of divorsiicl industries fitted for
thu c~~ditiors
r. start with. the Illinois Chamber
CT Commerce with the cooperation OF
forty-cne local chambers Of commerce
Throughout the state, has published 4
bcc'tlet called illinois Facts" which
cort4ins brief survey Of the bust
res opportunities. resources and ad,
vantagca of these forty-one cities ana
the state as a whole The booklet is
primarily intended for the business
man who is seeking the best possible
location for
l. A new business.
2. A branch Office or branch plant
8. A new location for a business al
ready established.
Several thousand copies have been
printed and can be obtained at the
Headquarters of our local chambers o.
commerce.
The next step in the business build
ing" plan will be . conference that
will be held in Chicago Jan 20, which
will he attended by the president and
secretaries OF the chamber OF com
meree OF all the cities in Illinois and
the presidents of industrial commits
sioners of the railroads serving Hi
nois, together with the officers and d.
rectors OF the Illinois Chamber Of
Commerce. At this meeting al
phases OF the program will be dis
cursed. A united campaign will be
undertaken and extensive plans laid
for a systematic sales campaign TO
sell the opportunities of Illinois.
The local chamber will no doubt
have one or two representatives at
the conference, and it is interesting
to know that Ottawa is well adver-
tised in the publication referred to as
Illinois Facts Secretary Carroll
has copy of this book in the Office
and it has already created great
deal of interest and comment There
is much talk throughout the various
cities in Illinois that eastern manu-
facturers are looking for places de
sirable for the extension Of their bust
ness. It is reported that a Pennsyi.
Vania steel company is negotiating
with a city in Indiana for over a
thousand acres on which to build a
new and modern factory, after which
they intend to sell or dismantlc their
eastern property.
Ottawa could secure all of the fae,
tories she wanted If the people would
furnish money, for the Chamber Of
Commerce receives practically everv
day some information in regard t.
people looking for industrial locations,
All of them are carefully investigated
and every effort consistent with the
policy of the organization is used to
interest them in Ottawa. AS an eX
ample of the kind Of letters received
we cite the following. II is letter
from the Haynes Corporation Of Chi
Cago and reads:
we are in touch with a manufac'
turing company now in process of or
ganization which promises to be very
successful,
"The concern is to manufacture q
staple product of which there is a
yearly market Of $4,000. 000 in this
county At present fully 500 OF tn.
plants making this product are 10
Gated in four eastern states This
leaves an unrestricted opportunity toT
plant located in the middle west