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Local Commercial Organization To Help Fair Association and American Legion Stage Affair.

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SPEAKER TELLS NEED

OF COMMUNITY WORK

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James L. Ford, Manager Minnesota

Store Bureau, Delivers Heart-to-heart Talk at Meeting.

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The wintry blast, Monday evening, materially cut down the attendance at the regular monthly meeting of the New Ulm Commercial club. James L. Ford, manager of the Minnesota Store bureau, delivered a timely address. His remarks were decidedly to the point and illustrated the right and wrong way of trying to build up a town. Several members of the St. Peter Commercial club responded to the special invitations tendered to that organization, as well as the Commercial bodies of other communities in this part of the state.

Will Help Celebrate.

Mr. Ford’s talk was preceded by a brief business meeting, during which a number of matters were discussed, including the plans of the Fair association and Ben J. Seifert Post, American Legion, of this city to jointly put on an old-time Fourth of July celebration here this year. The question of whether the Commercial club should back this movement, financially and morally, was debated briefly, and the consensus of opinion of the members present seemed to be favorable. A motion to encourage the venture was passed unanimously. Secretary Wm. A. Lindemann of the Fair association stated that it is planned to arrange a big celebration, and that the fair management and Legionaires are willing to assume the responsibilities of the executive work, provided the local merchants will co-operate with them in securing the necessary funds.

Night Postoffice Service.

Postmaster Fred. Pfaender and members of the committee of the Commercial club, appointed at the April meeting to co-operate with him in this respect, reported that they had gotten in touch with the Postoffice department at Washington, D. C., and with Congressman Frank Clague relative to the matter of retaining the night service at the local postoffice, which had been jeopardized as the result of recommendations by postoffice inspectors. In consequence of the efforts put forth by Postmaster Pfaender and the committee members, prospects are that the night service will be retained. President T.O. Streissguth requested that these efforts be continued until the matter is definitely settled.

Road Committee Working.

The road committee of the club is working on plans for suitable sign boards to be placed at stated intervals along the highways leading into New Ulm. As soon as these plans are completed, they will be submitted to the members for approval.

Signs of Prosperity.

Mr. Ford delineated the various phases of community welfare in is Interesting talk on “Building a” Town by Manpower,” in a forceful manner, and his remarks struck home in many instances. Merchants must consider each other not as competitors, but rather as partners, if they want to effectually promote the standing of their city as the center of a prosperous trade territory, asserted the speaker. Personality counts, and good, as well as bad business, is refected in each community. If one merchant or industry suffers, the entire community is affected, either directly or indirectly, and such conditions do not help to prosper a town.

Must Work Together.

Referring to the discussion of the proposed Fourth of July celebration here, the speaker voiced his sentiments in opposition to carnivals, say-ing that they are bad for any town, morally and otherwise. Whenever it is decided to arrange a public celebration of any kind, everybody must work together. The same is also true as regards furthering general community welfare. Work of this nature cannot be done by the merchants individually – they must pool their efforts and do it collectively.

Nothing to Sell.

While Mr. Ford stated repeatedly that he did not come here for the purpose of selling the Commerclal club anything, he did, at the urgent request of President Streissguth, briefly outline the object and purpose of the Minnesota Store bureau, stating that it is to the merchants of the smaller communities what the Farm bureau is to the agriculturists – an organization that helps them combat ascendency of the mail order houses and large city stores, that encroach upon the business of the local merchants. In this connection, he said that the right kind of publicity, especially advertising in the home-town newspaper, pays big returns.

The speaker cited a few of the many benefits derived by the merchants in smaller communities from membership in the Minnesota Store bureau. For about $500 per year, the local Commercial club could secure the services of a trained secretary, furnished by the bureau, who would render the necessary service and assist with solving local problems. In addition, the club would receive whatever help is needed from the staff of experts in the employ of the bureau, who would come here to co-operate with the club members as occaslon demanded.

Brown County Journal, May 11, 1923