The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-03-02
CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE NOTES
Reasons For Change of Quarters
to Council Chamber

sumter Chamber of Commerce splen-
did quarters. free of rent in the city
hall exhibits spirit of cooperation
winch II sih pay pany merchants,
bankers, manufacturers. professional
men. and the farmers also TO follow.
~ private citizens the members of
council are backers OF the CONNER
cIai organization. as public officials
they take Ehe position that the Cham>
her or Commerce IN an all round pub
TIC institution. working for every bus
mess Interest and for every occupation
ana calling, non-partisan, working for
no particular man or men or line OF
business. hut working for the entire
city and county OF sumter Working
Tor even those who are not and have
4 never been members of this OrganiZa-
ton. IL has never turned any one
or any interest down. It might be OF
interest &c know that during 1871
Mayor L.. ~. Jennings contributed
four bundled dollars, the City Nation
al hank six hundred dollars and Mr..
M. NJ. Plau one hundred dollars To
help pay the rent OF the chamber i'm
It's spacious and splendid quarters on
N'f~ otNfHln HOOl OI the IltN
National Eank building.
Now. In ,commOn with practically
every othcr organization ana busi-
ness enterprise. economy I'm operation
until times get better is considered
good practice by the chamber OF
commerce which has been hit hard
with other institutions and general
Business bt the scarcity of money. So
u accepted conncil's generous offer of
cooperation. an Offer extended before
by council
The sumter Chamber OF Commerce
has proved its value and its useful-
ness TO sumter and Sumter county
III - not now an experiment. IL ought
to be and doubtless will be n perma-
nent Institution i'm Sumter. IL has
done many big things and assisted
In many other big things for sumter
ana sumter county. The splendid
Hotet Clarcmont was erected by this,
organization's financing: the Scaboard
Air Line railroad, the $2,5OO. 900 hard
sprradc boT Il issue, the 1925. 600 bond
issue for sumter's paved streets and
sidewalks. -he Williams Veneer COM
panysthe Sumtcr Hardwood company.
4. III. Kress and company. the sum
ter Roller Mills. the cotton grader. the
sumNer County Fair association. the
"A. e. L. passenger station improve
ments, the modern new steam laun-
DRY, the China-American Tobacco and
Irauing company and the Sumter
Stemmery company with combined
capitalization and working coopera-
ton or more than six hundred thou
sand dollars. the farm and home
demonstration agents and depart-
ments and supporting the boys pig
and corn, the girls and women's can
ming and demonstration clubs. the
starting ANEW In 1914 of the dead to-
bacco growing industry and the ,rec-
uon OF two large tobacco warahousrs.
the many booster trips and adyertls-
ing OF Suinter's buli ess estlb'i,n-
fnt nts I'm several cOu ties. orga ariziog
the county cotton association. bring
ms new business To sumter watching
out and getting proper passe1ger
haihs ana schedules, freight rate ad
Justments. getting the merchants tax
assessments lowered for 1921 from
tne state tex com mission, in all Of
THESE and many other cOmmcndablc
Things the Sumter Chamber of Conn
meree either led or played an i'm
portant cooperative part. More
could be written of but the Sumter
Chamber OF Commerce record for do
INK things i3 well known.
Now this organization needs the
financial support of every merchant.
farmer. marufspturer, aud profession
al man. Tno Sumter Chamber of
Commerce Is still live organization.
" mas not stopped functi6ning because
IL has started cconomizing. MANY
business establishments and farmers
doubtless. because times are not what
we want them to be, because money
Is tlshl' without stopping To think of
"e hecessil| OF central city and
county organization, whore 'things
can he easily and quickly started and
put over. forgetting what this organ
zation has accomplished for this
count. like the Sumter Chamber O,
commerce has proved itself to be-. tn,
place where we start something and
put IL over" think that the other rcl-
lows can De depended upon To pay
their dues ana II will drop out this
year hcCau'c times are hard. This
feeling prevails We are tod i'm many
other cities and towns. liut ii can
be noticed that every city and town
in south carolina, many smaller
places less t1an half of Suntcr's size
and population have put on fun time.
paid commercial secretaries. and the
larger towns and cities are raII.irs To-
the support of their chambers OF
commerce because they know tnT
community ana county organiZation
Will be need ii much moro thun ever.
But "A few days agO warming to get
together sounded from the chrmbvr
ot commerce. has we hear saved an
important enterprise for Sumter which
the chambc rOr commerce secured
There viii bc other occasions when
Ihn cln I.-.1- -.------- -