Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-09-30
SECRETARY HART
IS GREETED BY
LARGE AUDIENCE
Chamber of Commerce
Holds Open Meet At
Mellon School
VOICES PALATKA'S AIMS
Mayor Fearnside, Form
er Mayor Merriam and
Others Talk


At the open meeting of the Pa
latka Chamber of Commerce last
night at the High School auditorium
several hundred Palatkans were for
mally introduced to Secretary ]. W.
Hart, who spoke of the aims and am
bitions of the Chamber in furthering
the interests of Palatka.
The Palatka band contributed no
small part toward the success of the
meeting, and the several hundred visi-
tors testified to an awakening in
terest in plans for furtherance of
proposed plans.
President Merriam introduced
Mayor H. M. Fearnside, following an
invocation by Rev. j. D. Sibert. May
or Fearnside referred to the Chamber
of Commerce as the clearing house
through which all civic effort should
be expended. He said that Palatka
should have 500 members of the
Chamber of Commerce, and he hopes
to see the day when there will be
that many members. He introduced
Mr.. Hart, who spoke, in part as fol-
lows:
"In recent article of my contri-
button to the press these lines ap-
peared: There is no time like the
present to belittle our future-or in
versely-no time like the present to
praise it, 1t is difficult to controvert
any arguments for or against what
the future has in store because none
Of us know. We can hope. We can
plan. We can work. But what can
we accomplish?
"In my estimation Palatka can
accomplish only what we set out to
do and providing. we keep at it. Pa
latka is better off never endorsing
any movement, never aspiring to any
betterment, never entering into any
worthy endeavor with which there is
not coupled will; a determination
t0 attain the coveted goal. This is
cintinuity of effort. Better by far
never to start anything you do not
finish, and better to accomplish good
in a few endeavors than to spread
YOUR efforts over many with divided
interest and lacking general support.
"Now, what does Palatka need?
palatka wants to grow. | hope 1 will
not be opposed in that. How can Pa
latka grow? New industries will
provide growth and capital. More
'ruit and truck farmers will provide
Increased population and capital, and
as these come to us, what follows? =?
More stores, more hotels, more visi-
tors, more banks, more trains, 4
larger business section, larger resi-
!ence section, greater investments,
diversified labor, parks, Fairgrounds
and name in the annals of Florida
that all of US can take pride in hav-
ing helped establish.
Now, how can this be done? Of
course the Secretary can't do it all.
Let me point out that if the Chamber
of Commerce is to be instrumental in
these matters every member must
sacrifice his immediate business in
terests to the gain there must be for
him in the future. Some are too busy
to actively participate in the Cham
ber's work because they are busy.
That isn't fair to Palatka.
You are not in business because you
have the capital, but because the City
of Palatka patronizes you. Now the
City asks for their patronage, your
help and your continued help, and
then some more help to build great
er Palatka. l think you all will, in
fact you've got to play a part. When
l call on a man to do his duty on a
committee and he says he is busy
get some other member l feel that
that man has little interest in Pa
latka. He cannot see that it needs
his efforts, and yours and mine, to
work now for bigger business. If
you can't get that viewpoint, Palat-
ka must stand still.
"We believe that Palatka should
have good roads. Do you suppose that
with one third of the population of
Putnam county right here in Palat-
ka that we cannt have good roads il