The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1921-04-20
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

HE NNhNbEn UT No"NEhNs "
Wrapped in that feeling OF comfort
and plenty that follows a full stom-
ach. over three hundred citizens
cheered to the echo the quips and
Quibbles. facts and fancies regaled
by the speakers at the banquet held
Monday evening in the White Peli-
can hotel. The majority, IL not all,
left this luxurious hostelry with
the feeling that all that remained
was to place a finger on the dotted
line and the proposed collection OF
$4,000 would be accomplished. But
the cold. gray dawn OF awakening
must be reckoned with and the solic-
itors and solicited must face the fact
that a decided change in the conduct
OF the Chamber Of Commerce must
ensue or the end OF the next twelve
months will see the organization
where II Is today, In debt and nothing
to show for II.
The Herald realizes that among
classes it'S stand on the Chamber OF
Commerce Is not popular. opposi-
tion OF a newspaper to such an orga-
nization is, 10 their minds. unthink-
able. They, in their short-sighted
vain glorious opinion OF their own
Importance. cannot differentiate be-
tween our opposition to their meth
ods and q Chamber OF Commerce.
Heart and soul The Herald is for a
constructive Chamber OF Commerce.
one that has for its purpose the de-
velopment, expansion and unification
OF Klamath Falls and Klamath
county, one that Is run for the whole
community and not for a few. one
that Is not used as an instrument
for the carrying out of theories; one
where there are no hidden transac-
tions or surreptitious suppression Of
facts that belong to the full men,
bership.
We want to see a Chamber OF Com
merce that will not hidel the fact
from anyone that contract has
been entered into involving the ex-
penditure OF thousands Of dollars;
that a heavy debt has been piled up
that must be liquidated from funds
that the members are to go towards
q bigger and better program. We
want to see q Chamber Of Commerce
that will build on fact and not on
theory. Under the present secretary.
not one single constructive act can
be pointed to. Time and money have
been wasted on non-essentials. such
as the naming OF a city flower.
house survey, a thought survey and
like nonsense.
What was done for the reduction
OF freight rates, for reduced passen-
ger rates. better train service, for
the Strahorn railroad. for the Modoc
Northern. the Natron cutoff, to in
duce the Western Pacific to come In.
Crater Lake and its Development
Where has a single dollar been
added to the payrolls OF the county,
or a single farmer placed on ranch?
We are told that these. are mate
rial things, entirely beneath the se-
rious consideration OF a modern
Chamber of Commerce. That II we
have a civic center, parks. play
grounds, paving, a city flower. end
less surveys. all the rest will follow.
That we will have a contented COM
munity and this will attract the
manufacturer. the railroads, the
tourists and the rancher. This may
all be true. but We can't see 1t. Give
us the railroads. the factories. the
highways. developed tourist attrac-
tion. and then you will see the others
follow. But that is not the program
for the future. We must have the
frills and fancies first. and wait for
the other. This is what you are ask
ed to contribute your money for, and
II you can make this kind of an ideal
istic dream fit in with your ideas OF
a Chamber OF Commerce, you will
contribute; II you can't. then you
will see that change Of program is
effected and some practical results
secured.
nI A