Imperial Valley press., 1944-03-29
4 Countrywide PLANNING
GROUP--fINE SUGGESTION


Centro Chamber Of Commerce was
launched a program which, If put into
effect. can prove itself one OF the most
monumental actions Of this decade for
imperial County.
Representatives from most Of the i'm
p0rtant valley communities discussed the
feasibility and possibility Of creating a
powerful. central organization 10 fOrmu-
late the postwar plans. not for Just this
or that town or this or that political
group, but for the wnoie county as an en-
tity.
Heretofore. planning for the most part
has been accomplished by the various
chambers Of commerce acting Individual
Is, with additional planning occasionally
from other bodies such as the county
board Of supervisors, the District. the
Farm Bureau and once in while from
the Associated Chambers Of Commerce.
But such individual operation has had
serious shortcomings. as most old-timers
know. A program b. one community oft
en- has been opposed by some other com
munity, usually with jealousy as the
reason and only too often. the reason
has been justified by inter-community
competition. Legislative representatives
at Sacramento and elsewhere have often
found their eager hands tied by such
conflict within our own ranks. These
same representatives even have been
more hampered by the task of keeping
peace and quiet back home, and have
failed to act for fear of tromping on the
toes Of some group or faction.
This county long has needed a county
wide boosting group, built upon the fact
that whatever helps one part of the val
ley, helps the others, that Imperial Coun-
~ progresses or retrogresses as whole,
not as one community as against another.
But the county has lacked an effective
organization of the very kind needed.
There has been the Associated Cham
bers of Commerce. but this has largely
been only a means OF the various cham
bers rubbing elbows occasionally. 1t has
not been a driving force, a creative ag-
gressive organization with the exception
of only few instances.
There has been, land still is, we sup
pose) the County Board of Trade. This
has not filled the bill 1t has been an
instrument of the Board of Supervisors
and designed TO take from the board
the promotional proposals which have
often been dumped into the laps of the
county fathers.
the Farm Bureau which never was in
tended to be a boosting group.
Neither these, nor the individual
chambers of any of the valley towns can
fill the bill as countrywide develop
ment organization which will have as its
chief concern, not just matters of sec
tional interest alone, but matters of wide
aspect, matters pertaining to the well
fare of Imperial Couny as we'll as West
morland and inland and Bard and Seeley
and each Of the farm communities and
the bigger towns and the farmers and
the political governing bodies.
While the proposal being currently
considered is as yet only nebulous, it GER
tainly is deserving of the highest consid-
Grafton by all communities and all bodies.
Through union there is strength, and
from United Imperial Valley can come
a strength in the realm of postwar build
ing and development which will be need
ed and which also should mark new
era of development and progress.
1t would be nothing short of criminal
for the proposal to fall by the wayside
War corresDondents in italy have fall