Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1939-05-24

Speaking on "What ailS Henderson
and what the city needs for It's future
growth and development, b. II. Perry
told the Rotary club at its weekly
dinner meeting Tuesday evening the
city needs leader, or leaders, and
then the readiness to follow him or
them. and that it should take big
spade, go out in the back yard and
dig a big hole and bury all its little
tomahawks; or petty jealOusies, and
then pull together.
Mr.. Perry traced the origin and de-
velopment of the city to the present
time, and said it began in the con-
gregating of hard-hitting, rough
and tumble competition toward
money-making, with every man pull
ing for himself, and that it had not
gotten away from that. 1t was once
a railroad center, he said, but when
the railroads began to give way to
modern, paved highways, buses,
trucks and automobiles in general,
Henderson did not follow through.
New State "TB" Hospital.
At the conclusion of the talk, DR..
H. A. Newell told the Rotary club
Of the projected new tuberculosis
hospital for Eastern North Carolina,
and suggested the desirability for the
city trying to get together in deter
mined bid for that institution.
j. R. league, president, presided
at the meeting, and the program was
in charge of S. T. Peace, chairman
of the program committee. Mr..
league thanked Mr.. Perry for his
candid examination into the city's
condition, and endorsed DR.. NewelPs
idea about the tuberculosis hospital.
Finds Apprehension.
Mr.. Perry said that in gathering
ideas for his talk, he had asked many
citizens what they thought the city
needed most, and found that many
were apprehensive about the COM
munity and its future. He said he had
also found that HenderSon'S trouble
was not peculiarly its own, but that
other communities were in much the
same condition. He admitted that
other towns once in the same size
as Henderson had stepped out and
gone ahead, and said that twenty
years ago Henderson itself had more
industries than it has today
Henderson held its own from 1919
to 1929, Mr.. Perry said, but since
that time it has slipped. Why that
had come about was difficult to say,
he stated And then he set about to
take stock of the community.
In Times of Trouble.
People of Henderson are most
sympathetic to each other in times of
trouble or sickness, he said, and it
almost paid to have a spell of sick
ness now and then to see just how
many friends one really has.
No essential element of growth is
lacking in Henderson, Mr.. Perry
said. 1t has produced big men in
nearly all walks of life. 1t has the
ability and the resources, but some
how it doesn't get along as it ought.
Henderson today, he said, is a big,
sprawling country village that has
grown up in haphazard manner
and without planning. And it has
grown in patches. Early citizens were
aggressive and progressive, and they
and their successors have survived
by reason of competition 1t has de-
veloped some really outstanding bust
ness leaders, but the city is still at
the cross roads of prosperity, and it
is up to the community itself to say
whether it shall step out and 60 for
ward.
Organization Lacking.
One thing glaringly wrong is a lack
of organization and objective. Hen
derson has never overcome the early
inclination of individuals each to look
out for himself. eve have been so
busy in competition with our neigh
bors, we have not had the time to
succeed as community" he said.
Short on Leadership.
Another thing lacking is leader