Imperial Valley press., 1930-02-25
BY ROBERT HAYS, Sec'y.
El Centre Chamber of Commerce

bI IA s)tC y
El Centre Chamber of Commerce
No chronicle Of the business activ-
iti"s of FL Centre or Imperial Valley
can be complete without including
the achievements Of the FL Centre
Chamber of Commerce, that organ
i/cd representative of ail business,
industrial and professional interests
IN the community. The year just
closed has been one of noteworthy
accomplishment for this organiza-
ton, which haS rs its objective Il
better, more prosperous and happier
II Centre.
Tho chamber Of commerce achiev-
"a much for the advancement Of aer-
onauticS during the wear 1929. The
Imperial county airport was com
llctcG. with Its assistance, and IS
nov cuc Of the outstanding fields
- .lc west. Chamber Of commerce
contributions made the first pay
mat of rent under the lease and
option by which the land WAS ae-
quired. Chamber funds made a
realty the lighting system, causing
night flying TO be possible, with the
Installation Of flood, boundary and
obstruction lights. Chamber soici-
tjou resulted IN the erection by the
kitaftcld OH Company Of the tall
tower aud beacon light, safe guide
70 night flyers. Chamber efforts
lave made it probable that when the
Southern Air Mail service is cstab-
.'shrd. tliS county airport viii BE- a
principal stopping place for the
lnaIs. Chamber activities, cNTend
ri iu am effort to have regular air
passenger service established, ~.
tcndlng over ~iNmonths' period.
Inv been recently crowned with
sUccoss, and on March the Stand
ard Airliucs, Inc. one Of the oldest
and most successful air transport
lines, viii re route its Los Angeles.
FL laSo ships to include the county
airport, giving daily service to san
Francisco. Los Angeles, Phoenix
and Fl raso.
Roads and highways, so import
ant and necessary to Imperial CoQn
~ because il Nas established after.
rail and electric lncs were generally
built elsewhere, have received con.
stant. attention by the chamber Of
comh5ercc highway committee and
the rrsult has hccn gratifying bur
ing the two years ending juno 80.
1929. lWpcrial County received So
600, 600 for state roads within the
county. For the two years com
meneing July ! 1929 there has been
allocatcd another $4,000. 900 TO be
cypcndS in this county. Urgings
Of the Chamhcr of commerce wcr,
largely responsible for these huge
expenditures in this county where
they arc so important and were SO
greatly needed
Inspires Confidence
One Of the prime obicctivcs Of
this chamber, and all others, is to
inspire confidence of the local pco
pie in their own home city. The Fl
tentro, chamber has been able to
accomplish this, it appears, as cvi
dcnccd by the great number of insti
tutions which last wear increased
enlarged or improved their property
l;ullding permits in the city were
Just short Of half a million dollars
and much of this sum was the result
of bcttcrmcnts and additions of H.,
local established business houses
Chambers of commerce and boards
of trade have long ago decided that
1t is better for the local druggist to
grow and expand and improve, rath
er than Just as a community is grow
ing and business is increasing, tc
introduce another new druggist to'
come in and take away the profits
which would otherwise accrue to
the merchant who has been waiting
for years for the arrival of pros
perity.
Confidence inspired by the cham.
Der. of commerce has resulted not
only in encouraging established in
stltution in FL Centre to enlarge
their places of business, but it has
resulted in new industries. Follow
ing chamber of commerce urgings
ana encouragement, for instance,
Inc finc now desert plunge was con.
strueted. Trc English Village, or
Motor Inn, came in the same way.
The chamber of commerce has a
double duty: not only must il adver.
tlse It's community and its commun
ity's advantages to the outside
world, but it must also "scll" the
community to the local people who
might not otherwise realize how IA
vored they are, did the chamber Of
commerce not constantly call their
attention to the fact.
FL Centre during It's 25 years Of
existence has had to do in that brief
space of time what other California
cities have taken 75 years or a cen
tury to achieve. Fortunately, we
now have most of the necessities and
are commencing to think of the fin
er things which bring about the
larger and more abundant civic life,
The chamber, as conditions become
favorable, is gradually urging the
paving Of more streets, the beauti-
flying of our thoroughfares, the ex-
tension Of ornamental lighting clust-