San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-07
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

E "A eommunity's faults, as we'll as those
OF an individual, are most easily dis
cerned by stranger, particularly if he
be a person of wide observation. The
analogy might we'll be carried a bit
further: AS the members of ones own
family are less competent than dis
interested, unprejudiced outsider to point
the way to correction of ones faults, so
an expert from other fields has an ad-
vantage over local critics in suggesting
means of overcoming a community
shortcomings. This may be partly be-
cause local critics are parts of that which
they criicise. and partly for the reason
that "a prophet hath honor save in his
own country"
In any case, San Antonians ought to
appreciate, and try to profit by, the con-
structive criticism which Fred P. Mann,
business expert of wide observation and
experience, made of certain affairs of
this city in one of his addresses to the
merchants assembled here for the Trade
Season. His general subject was "The
Advantages of a Chamber of Commerce
or Commercial Club in Your City"
While the principles which he ex-
pounded are applicable to any city, and
his address in general was doubtless pre-
pared for delivery wherever he might
be called upon to discuss such matters,
nevertheless it was pointed with specific
illusions to conditions peculiar to San
Antonio. Reduced to a single sentence
his criticism was that the San Antonio
Chamber of Commerce is too small ar
organization for the city and territory
1t undertakes to serve.
The case of San Antonio is by ne
means singular, but it is the case which
San Antonians have to consider. Ye
residents of this city, listening to tour
lists who come this way, have some
times wondered whether there wax an
other city of equal or comparable popu
lation that makes as little capital on
of its natural opportunities as San An
tonic has been wont to do. 1t seem
to be extremely difficult for some Sal
Antonians to realize that their city O
today is not the town of ten or fiji
teen years ago. Some of us, although
conscious of the vast material change
that have taken place in the trade ter
ritory to which San Antonio is mos
easily. accessible, have been slow t
interpret those developments in term
applicable to our own affairs.
Others of us, while watching the rap
material growth of San Antonio-th
many additions of residential district
and the upspringing of business build
ings-havc failed to bring home to our
selves the significance of such develop
merts from the tourist standpoint.
In just few years-a very shor
space of time, indeed-San Antonio ha
been transformed from a sprawlng vi
lage of harrow, unpaved streets an
Anticipated shacks into city of broac
hard-surfaced thoroughfares and stated
structures. Yet we have not, in an in
portant though special sense, kept pac
with this material progress. We hay
not taken full advantage of Our oppo
tunities. We have neglected some of II
facilities for stimulating the natur
process of growth which the city h;
been undergoing.
OF course the Chamber of Commerc
has expanded not a little; its activiti
in old fields have been intensified. ar
it has entered some new fields. Neve
fheless a STRANGER an expert in ST.