Imperial Valley press., 1931-02-04
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS
DONE MUCH FOR AGRICULTURE

the local consumption of our own
most important farm product.
The chamber of commerce has a
number of other objectives for the
present year AS has been frequent
ly stated, it becomes its. duty to
look forward over the heads of the
crowd and into the future. Cham
Der directors are attempting to
visualize the El Centre of a few
years hence as it will be or perhaps
ought to be. Widened traffic ar
teries must be provided as vehic-
ular flow increases More parks
must be established City streets
must be beautified The approaches
to the city itself must be made
more lovely, more attractive TO the
passerby so that El Centre and
Imperial Valley will attract the bet
ter class of permanent residents.
More homes must be secured.
Many desirable would-be citizens
are lost to us daily because we have
TO shelter for them The normal
growth Of our city is much ahead Of
our supply Of dwellings, despite the
fact that last year We constructed
about 100000 worth Of new homes.
The number OF new homes should
have been three times as large.
With the growth of the city and
its population, there must naturally
be more school and library facilities.
BettermentS and enlargements rs
y iaq
to be made 10 cur water and sewer
systems. More paving and street
lighting must come. 1t is the duty
of the chamber of commerce and its
board of directors ever to look for
ward to these necessary improve
ments. in advance Of the time when
they are actually needed, so that
plans may be drawn and cOnstruc-
ton commenced and that improve
ments themselves shall be ready at
the moment when they are needed.
Many Achievements
The year just closed was one Of
achievement for the FL Centre
Chamber of Commerce. A very nee
essary federal building has become
reality. The opening of State
street across the tracks of the South
ern Pacific company, creating a
rev trans-city artery and possibly
a new business street, has been
made possible. The paving and
lighting of State Street will give an
impetus to other proposed public
improvements.
Favorable reductions in freight
rates affecting Ell Centro and I'M
perial Valley have been won through
chamber efforts during the past
year. Much progress has been made
in convincing the government Of our
need here for an airmail service and
an airmail stop. We are agreed
that the lighted Southern AirWay
will pass through Imperial Valley
and that the Imperial county air.
port will become one of its landing
fields. With the campaign now be-
ing waged, airmail service for this
community must inevitably follow:
The establishment of the plan
ming and zoning commission, foster
ed by the chamber, has already re-
suited in splendid achievement. A
greater and better Ell Centro will
emerge as a consequence of the fine
labors of this very important ad-
junct of the city
The chamber Of commerce has
constantly busted itself with i'm
provements on the highways and
roads of the county. Through con-
tinued vigilance the great national
highways, in which we are peculiar
ly interested are well on toward
completion. Only tiny sectors re-
main yet to be permanently paved
and widened Imperial County in
recent years has obtained a gener-
Gus share of State and Federal ap-
propriations for our important
roadways. Work on county roads
has progressed with a fair degree OF
speed. The Imperial Highway, des-
tined to become a nationally known
road and to carry great volume
of traffic, is fast emerging from a
nebuious state into a definite real
ity. It is the greatest new road
projected for the Southwest at the
present time and when completed
will probably mean more to El Cen
tro and Imperial Valley than any
road, due to its strategic
location, its historical associations,
its directness and freedom from
grades and curVeS and the interest
ing country which it traverses.
Always confronting the chamber
is the problem of necessary puhlj
clzing Of the community. News
stories released must be judicious. |
They must state facts whose dis |
semination will result in benefits |
to Imperial Valley, but our stories |