The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-03-25
Q 9 9 o 3 9 9 3 9 8 3 9 9 . o @
9 g,
%THE WHY, WHO AND HOW OF.
9 A MODERN CHAMBER OF {.
g COMMERCE <.
9 Five Questions and Five Answers (.
9 o 9 . o 9 o 9 Q o o . o . 8 8 9
Answer to Question No. 4.

on "a sound financial basis and keep
ing it there is so essential portion Of
an expansion plan that members of
the executive committee of the cam
paign Of the chamber said today that
they We're pleased with the opportun-
ity to make the statement below.
It is the answer to the fourth Of
the five questions they have met in
connection with the membership drive
which will be made in the near fu-
ture. The other questions are as to
why Newberry should enlarge its
Chamber of Commerce, what it will
do and who will run it. The fifth,
why the expanded chamber is likely
to be permanent, will be answered in
the next issue.
How will the expanded Chamber Of
Commerce be financed?
By membership dues of s25 year,
pledged for three years.
This is the method which has been
adopted and is being followed by all
of the successful Chambers Of Com
merce in America. 1t is a method
which has come out of years of ex-
periments and experience. 1t has
not yet been abandoned or modified
by any Chamber Of Commerce which
has tested it and no single instance
of failure has been charged against
it.
1t is a perfectly sound financial
plan, combining all the good features
of previous methods and eliminating
their bad ones. In former times
some Chambers of Commerce expert
mented with graduated dues, charg-
ing the big corporation sometimes
5000 and letting in the small store
keeper for s2.
The want of wisdom in this meth
cd is apparent. The few corporations
which contributed the bulk Of the
Chambers income naturally dominat-
ed it's affairs. The members who con-
tributed little to the income gave lit
tie to the chamber, {; her of time or
interest, they just kept in the back
ground if they did not actually keep
away from the chamber.
Another often tried and now dis
credited plan was that of uniform
dues of S5 or $40 fixed at this low
rate on the theory that more men,
bers would join. In Olean, n. Y.,i
with dues of 81 year, the Chamber
of Commerce was ableto secure about
100 members. The dues were raised
to S25 and within six months the
membership had increased to more
than 600 interested, active men and
women, and in year they had done
some things the city had been want
ing to do for 10 years.
If the Newberry Chamber of Com
merce is to do the things the citizens
want done, it must have an adequate
income. Four hundred memberships
at $25 each will provide the least
amount it should have, for rent, light,
heat, printing, stationery, expenses
Of committees, clerical and steno-
graphic help and the salaries OF its
secretary and bureau managers, its
only paid officials.
Every corporation and firm and
every business and professional man
and woman who becomes member
of the Chamber of Commerce, should
regard the membership dues as prop
erly chargeable to overhead" the
legitimate running expenses Of the
business or Office. Chamber of Com
merce dues should be looked upon
just as that portion of the taxes with
which a city safeguards property, be-
cause without such provision proper
ty values would disappear. The citi-
zens of progressive cities s&feoAard
community interests by organizing
and maintaining Chambers of Com
merce for the same reason to main
tain and increase civic values.
There are eligible to membership
in the Newberry Chamber of Com
merce a considerable number Of con-
Germs and some individuals whose in
terests in and responsibility to the /
community are so large that they
should give more to the support of
the Chamber of Commerce than the !,
individual of small means.
For these the plural membership is !
offered, subscriptions for from two
to 100 memberships.
To guard against the charge that
such a subscription offers the temp
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