The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-09-20
Address by Colvin B. Brown
Delivered Lakeland Before the Community Progress Dinner
at Ells Hall

ressful Chamber of Commerce. The
first of these is q strong understand
| ing of the position its occupies in the
community life. Those whose sup
port is solicited are entitled to know
that it is not organized and conducted
in the interest OF a group of indiVid-
uals, but that the yard stick by which
all of its activities are to be measured.
is the yard stick of community good.
The second essential is Il short, de-
finite. practical program OF activities.
The people are not only entitled to
know what the Chamber of Commerce
is. but also what it proposes doing for
the community.
The third essential is the selection
of committeeman with view to their
qualifications for carrying on the
work entrusted to them.
The fourth essential is a budget
based. upon the work to be done, the
I revenue for which is obtained from
dues paying members.
Where the public has a right con-
ception of the Functions of Cham
her of Commerce. is in agreement
with its program of activities and has
confidence in the official personnel
there is little difficulty in obtaining
the money necessary for carrying on
the work.
Every man who can afford to pay
the dues should belong to his local
community organization. No matter
how much character m anmay have,
no matter how clean he may be in his
BUSINESS and private relations, no
matter how good a man he may be, he
is not good citizen, in the local
sense at least. unless he does some
: thing fer the good OF the community
in which he lives There is a differ
ence between being good man and
It good citizen. and one of the func-
tions of every Chamber of Commerce
is to furnish the people with an OPP
portunity to express their citizenship
in constructive counsel and action
for the good OF the community
: Your community does not end with
your municipal boundary lines. II
extends onward and outward to cover
your entire retail trade territory 1t
, is the betterment of business, living
and marketing conditions in that ter
rtory that you should have in mind.
Now anything that can be done to
= better such conditions in your retail
trade territory increases purchasing
= power and adds to the wealth of both
? merchant and producer. This is a
! national as we'll as a local activity.
. 1t is doubtful if there is a community
! anywhere in our country that equal,
. it's business and social possibilities
9 The right sort of committees COM
posed of men familiar with the terri
: tory. ought to be able to make definite
= practical, convincing statements OF
u what can be attempted and these
statements can be made the opening
. gun in campaign to secure public
support of the plans that will secure
their accomplishment
= Another subject demanding atten-
u ton is transportation. BY this is MOI
4 meant merely the checking of way
II bills, advising as to routes of ship
H ment and informing members OF
n changes in the rulings of the Inter
Il state Commerce Commission. 1t is
H much bigger than that. 1t is not
II enough to better production; unless
II we have markets and quick and easy
n routes and transport to such mar
II llet our increased production will be
II largely without avail 1t is the task
H of a transportation committee to study
II the transportation situation in the re-
H tail trade territory, ascertain what
H are the Instructions to the free flow
lI OF traffic and formulate plans for the
H removal of the distractions Some
H times these will be found to be lack
i of deep water in harbor, sand bar
\ in navigable river, inadequate dock
II age facilities, ferry where a bridge
HI ought to be, or insufficient railway
III electric, or motor truck service; but
II most of the distractions to the free
H flow of traffic are found to be the
II character and condition of the higl
II ways leading into the town. We have
H come to understand that the great
H national highway is not the road
II from New York to San Francisco, but
II that it is the road from the farm to
H town. The transportation committee
H should be able to report plans for the
II removal of traffic distractions and the
II provision of improved facilities, which
H plans will be so compelling in their
H presentation as to be assured of pub
y lie support. Prepare not an every
4 thing-at-once program, but a one
II thing at-a-time, and as rapidly as the
/ public can be made to see the need
\ and apply the remedy.
II Industry, commerce and civics
should all have a place on the pro-
H gram Careful consideration should
\ be given to the subject of industrial
relations, improved merchandising
methods, the betterment of living con-
ditions, and to parks, Fairgrounds and
schools. We want to strive for con-
tented working class, stores so excel
lent that they will serve the trade
needs of our tributary territory, and
ample school facilities. And we want
II q CITY plan Every CITY no matter how