Year: 1874

where direct benefit to the masses is
not plainly visible, we are frequently
met with the inquiry, "Of what use is
a Board of Trade?' ats benefits are
only for cotton and grain merchants"
when the facts are that every business
man in any community derives great
advantage, directly or indirectly, from
such an organization and should be
alive to its interests and support.


"A Board OF Trade, or some organiza-
ton with like functions, if not an in-
evitable outgrowth, is an indispensable
adjunct of commercial Importance. AS
interests expand in volume and varie-
ty they demand more imperatively the
supervision and regulation of some GEN.
trail power, created by voluntary con-
currence, enforced to voluntary SUBJ
mission, which shall harmonize the re-
lations and evert the conflicts which
must occur where each is not well in
formed of the condition and need of
the others.


In the absense of such knowledge
they may unwittingly cripple each
other, while with it they +can always
cooperate in schemes of general advan-
tage in carrying OH an honorable COM
petition. Men always work to the
best advantage who fully understand
the conditions under which they work,
which is saying no more than that
knowledge is better than ignorance.


This reciprocal familiarity is possi-
BILE only through the Intervention of a
board of trade, representing all classes
of business, and charging itself with
the duty of collecting and distributing
information of the progress of each to
the other, and to the commercial
world. Every interest is benefited by
the healthy developement of every
other, and more or less directly inn
paired by the failure. or feebleness of
every other. Self interest, therefore,
dictates such cooperation as board of
trade facilitates, If not creates. 1t ad-
vances commercial character and pro-
notes manufacturing interests by en-
abling each separate interest to make
full display of its Importance in a
way most likely to attract business.
Just and equitable principles of trade,
and uniformity of usages are only sure
of general enforcement where there is
general cooperation, and no amount
of acquired or natural advantages can
dispense with them. The perception
of these truths becomes clearer with
the growing Importance of the interests
affected, and that perception is the
motive power to such organizations.


But Board OF Trade subserves the
interests of city quite as effectually
by its periodical exhibits of the prog
ress of Its commerce and industries as
by the constant familiarity of each
with the other which it promotes, and
the observance of just and uniform
principles which it enforces. 1t is not
enough to inform other portions of the
county, where capital is waiting for in
vestment, aud enterprise for opportu-
nifty, that a city has now so many
manufactures, and so large an aggre-
gate of trade, with such mass of pop
ulation, and such and so many facili-
ties for transportation. Men inter
ested enough to examine closely want
to know what relation the present sit
uation bears to previous conditions.
They say: "This is all very well for
this year, but what was it last year, the
year before, and five years ago? What
is the rate of progress, or is there any
at all?'


Numerous publications have distrib-
uted rich knowledge Of the general
condition Of Dallas, its general prog
ress, its general inducements to settle
ment and investment, but men with
money and well settled ideas of busi-
ness want something more. They