The Te Aroha News Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1922 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6410, 3 November 1923, Page 4

The Te Aroha News Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1922 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THE suggestion that the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce should cease to exist is one I 'that does' not/show Te Aroha in a favourable light. It is a serious reflection upon the local business men of this town. The chamber is primarily an institution, as its names signifies, that represents those who are interested in commerce. As such it is a body that should claim the support of local business men. For some reason or other it has not received the practical sympathy of tjhose it has endeavoured to assist. Is its comparative failure as an institution because it has not helped business interests or because those interested in commerce have not loyally assisted the Chamber? We believe that the present languishing state of this business association is the outcome of our local business men not being fully alive to the general business interests of the town—however keen they may think'they are in regard to their own individual interests. This is where broadness of outlook or narrowness of vision comes into question. What is too often overlooked by some business men is that the gen r eral progress of a town increases the individual prosperity. Man, we are told, is naturally selfish, and it is the inherent selfishness in men that blinds them to the recognition of this truth. This selfishness takes various forms, apathy, disloyalty, isolation, want of sympathy. Unity among business men is particularly needed at the present time, and especially in such towns as Te Aroha, because 6f the menace of the city and outside competition. The menace of the city is a very dangerous one not only to the small towns but also to the Dominion. The growth of the larger cities at the expense of the country which is helped to an enot'mous degree by obtaining business that should pass through country business houses is becoming one of the most knotty problems of our time. The

L-ity is a huge octupus which stretches out its tentacles and sucks the life blood out of many country business concerns. This,, and kindred evils can largely be combated by organisation and unity of feeling among- business men. If business men won’t unite, but take up the childish attitude of blaming the other fellow, then they must be prepared to suffer the consequences—the consequences will undoubtedly be hard and painful. There are many things, apart from safeguarding the interests of commerce, that a Chamber of Commerce could take up and forward in the interests of Te Aroha, and these are things which such an organisation should take the lead in. We refer to such matters as making Te Aroha more attractive as a health and pleasure resort, advertising our mineral waters, the best use of the Herries’ Bequest, better and more direct access to the Bay of Plenty. In order to unite the interests of the district with that of the town the Chamber should, as in other towns, make the presidents of the various branches of the Farmers’ Unions honorary members. This would promote a better understanding and increase the spirit of unity and sympathetic participation in common interests and aims for the welfare of both town and district.