The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-01-04
SEC. MARLIN MAKES
HIS ANNUAL REPORT
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS
BEEN GREAT AID TO THINGS
ACCOMPLISHED PAST YEAR.


Commerce: Because Of its very nature
much of the work OF chamber OF
commerce is unrecognlzed. The mod
ern chamber OF commerce has been
created to make men think, to make
a community as a whole think. When
men think results are accomplished.
No more potent force exists than that
exerted by right thinking and acting.
The Dawson chamber has, during
the past year, performed tasks having
a bearing on the present and future
development OF the community. The
work has been .simplified because OF
the efficient cooperation accorded
those who have been charged with the
performance. Standing four square
always the chamber has endeavored
to incucate in the minds of the peo-
pie a confidence and to inspire a
wholesome desire for those better
things which are necessary if a city
is to be builded so as to Withstand.
We have aimed to intelligently render
service to Dawson and the territory
which it serves, and we believe that
we have done so. AT no time has self
ishness been allowed to creep in, high
ideals have been maintained even at
the expense of criticism; no indi-
vidual or group has been favored. The
chamber is pledged to the upbuilding
Iof the city along lines which will
provide for the future and insure a
lasting prosperity for all.
The chamber was organized. in 1913.
Until the advent of the present secre-
tary, July /, 1919, the work largely
was confined to organization methods
and education of the membership in
chamber of commerce endeavor. There
fore this report has to do with that
period dating from January LIST of the
present year, report having been
made from July /, 1919 up to January
/, 1920, by your secretary. In COM
piling this report care has been taken
to summarize only; not to assume
where assumption is not warranted; to
be comprehensive, yet brief. | find no
necessity of INDUCING i'll the practice
of listing every unim1 Ortant phase of
the clubs work merely in order to fill
space and make showing" but only
those big things we have accomplish
ed and those larger things we hope
to accomplish in this and succeeding
years. 1t has been truly said, without
beginnings there can be no result" !;
yet we must never rest on any result
and discontinue beginnings.
No matter how brilliant, profitable,
gratifying, productive or substantial a
result may be, we must continue to
have beginnings, must continue to be-
gin new activities. The price we pay
for results is the price of continual eff
fort. Once we begin, we must go on
or else fail more ignobly than if we
had never started.
The Chamber of Commerce has
made it possible for your city to issue
bonds to the amount of $40000.00 for
water works extension and improve
ment as we'll as bonds to the amount
of $30,0000Q for street paving, which
alone are well worth four fold every
dollar subscribed to this organization
since its inception, some two and a
half years ago. Have made it possible
for the Florida Short Route" the
great highway from the northwest,
bringing thousands of tourists through
your county and city, while on their
way to camping grounds and winter
resorts of Florida.
They have made it possible to raise
a stock subscription of $lO0,0O0.O0 for
the erection and building of a modern
hotel for your city, $5000000 of this
stock subscribed by a nonresident of
this state.
To bring all influence to bear on our
congressman and our senators to the
end that we will soon see our long ex-
pected government building in course
of construction.
To build our new hotel for which
stock has already been subscribed. |
know we will do this for we cannot
afford to loose the $50,00000 of non
resident capital. To lose it would GER
tainly be very poor business judg-
ment.
We are going to pave more of our
streets; we have caught the fever and
it's contagious.
We are going to aid our physicians
in raising stock to the amount of $780,
10000 to erect and equip a magnih-
cent hospital Dawson needs one,
therefore it must be built
Gentlemen, the above is only a sum
mary OF the big things we have done
and the larger things we hope to ac-
complish in this and succeeding years.
Rome was not built in a day, neither
can we accomplish everything in so
short a period of time, but by cooper
alton, determination and perseverance
we can make of Dawson the queen
city OF the state, for we have all of the
natural resources at our command and
all that is necessary to utilize them.
Permanent prosperity means every
body's profit and not one mans gain
at anothers cost. There is just one
way to progress and that is to go for
ward. We need to catch new vision
and look far beyond the sordid things
of selfish interest. We need to discard
good-enoughs of yesterday and accept
the modern conception of real citizen
Ship-the citizenship which will stop at
nothing short of really effective COM
munity service. President Wilson says
"A citizen is not a citizen of a COM
munity unless he is serving that COM
munity." By what you have done gives
you a real vision of what you can do
Now let's get together and do it.
In conclusion | desire to extend my
sincere thanks to your able and i'm
partial president, your loyal board of
directors and to other members for
the splendid support accorded me, the
credit tor what we have done belongs