The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-01-12
It wiz rot again BE- overlooked.
co-operatiHe Shipments.


ers of this Yincinity. Arrangements T
were made to load a car on q certain
date and enough potatoes were
brought in to complete the car. I'm
fortunately, this 'caF was loaded too
late to reach the market in time 10
secure top prices but chamber did Sc
cure a price OF so cents per hundred |
over the market for the ear. Now that
the cotton and rice market is 80 IN
satisfactory it would seem the proper
time to start making arrangements for
a more extended movement Of this
kind.
Freight Claims.
While the traffic department Of the
chamber has not been as active as 1t
might have been a number OF claims
have been collected. In one case it
was necessary to take matters up with
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and it is worthy Of note that while it
had been impossible to secure this
settlement in three months before ap-
plying to the commission, it was paid
in full within few days after the
matter was taken up with the COM
| mission.
Retail Merchants Bureau.
An effort was made TO get the retail
merchants together to take measures
to protect their accounts and permit
them to extend credit freely to those
who are worthy. While number
seemed much interested a sufficient
number could not be gotten together
at one time to perfect the organiza-
! ton.
i without going into tiresome uetail
it is sufficient to say that scarcely a
day passes without there being some
call for the services Of the chamber
4 or the secretary. The attached news
paper clipping gives very good idea
I of what is expected of chamber.
A chamber Of commerce is an organ
ization which is supposed to attend TO
the affairs whcih ordinarily, are the
business Of everyone and which, there
) fore, are attended to by no one. In
a community of this kind, where the
support must come from the agricul-
, tural interests, the first big undertake
ing is to break hole in the invisible
but never the less always present wall
. which surrounds the city and separa-
ties it from the country. There is a
) feeling that the interests OF town and
country are directly opposed. Moth
ing could be further from the truth.
; If a real wall were to be built around
OpeIousas, separating it from the rest
Of st. Landry parish, who would be
. the first to try to break down the
wall? Would it be the country PEG
pie? Most decidedly not.
The. country can live without tbs
city but the only reason for the exis
tence Of a city is to supply the need:
of the country. Therefore, the bust
ness men of Opelousas are intereste;
in anything which will benefit the en-
tire parish They want the farme,
! to get a good price for his crops be
cause unless the entire parish is pros
porous business cannot be good i
! OpeIousas.
I Naturally, it is hard for the farme
& to realize that business men are sir
. cere when they tell him they are worl
3 ing for his interests. He asks ther
3 to prove it. 1t is up to the chambe
Z Of commerce to furnish this proc
: The question is how can it be done
& The best market which there is fl
4 certain products of st. Landry paris
! is in St. Landry parish. If a man nes
y Sunset wants a registered bull or pt
= the place for him to buy it is in tn
parish. How can he find it? Perhal
Z a man ten miles the other side
0 Opelousas has exactly what he wan
but does not know that he wants it.
BY establishing a TRADE Day" Il
chamber Of commerce has made
n common meeting place where the
! men can get together and make the
VI wants known. By offering substa
tial prizes each month the chamb
has made it worth while for the pt
rs pie to come heer and bring Their C
. tie pigs or anything else Of viii
they desire to dispose. Booths ha
~ been erected on the court hou
square and arrangements made
taking care of anything which
=. brought in.
Certain farm produce is grown
'I1 quantity so that it can be shipped
OF advantage. By getting a number
farmers to make a shipment at
same time carloads can be made
and disposed Of to advantage.
LSt chamber offers its services to h
at in this way.
There are government publicati'
relating to crops and markets VIII
are Of advantage to the grower.
VI chamber has a number of these on
IN and will secure others as they
re- published.
on Certain farmers desire to exp
y ment with wheat as a crop. T
want to know what kind to plant
whether or not it will pay here.
at chamber has taken the matter up v
the department OF agriculture at W;
ington and at Baton Rouge and