Show THE VOICE OF BUSINESS A New BUSINESS'S Note of Hope For Americas America's S 'S Future By Arch N. N Booth Editors Editor's Note As executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States Arch Booth serves serves ser ser- ves as spokesman for American bus bus- iness The National Chamber represents an underlying membership of more than business corporations organizations organizations organ organ- and Individuals There are certain things which the government can do and which no ne other institution can do toward solving today's today's to to- days day's social and economic problems THE GOVERNMENT for instance can pass needed laws It can appropriate appropriate money for welfare urban renewal renew renew- al ai education crime control and so to on But the government has its limitations By itself it cannot do everything that needs to be done The same thing holds true of course for the private sector The private sector sector sec sec- tor can move people to think and to act It can build character and accountability accountability ac ac- into people essential ingredients ingredients in in- for creating a better society But by itself the private sector cannot do everything that needs to be done To deal effectively with the present situation the government and the private private vate sector must each make its particular particular par par- contribution And both must work together on a partnership basis Voluntary Action Rising In the field of business and industry the part of the private sector with which I am the most familiar I find that the voluntary organizations are more active active ac ac- tive today than ever before in facing up to urban problems and are cooperating cooperating cooperating coop coop- more closely than ever before with government In every c ty of any size there is a chamber of commerce and in every industry in industry in in- of any importance there is a trade association well well established established voluntary voluntary vol vol- organizations with long experIence experience experience exper exper- in getting things done through united united unit unit- ed effort The National Chamber federation brings these voluntary business organizations organizations organizations together to form the organized business movement The organized business business bus bus- iness movement has developed a technique technique que a working process by which the local local local lo lo- cal community can mobilize its total community community com com- resources to deal with its own specific problems in cooperation with government r 4 ARCH N. N BOOTH Community Groups Involved This technique is called Forward Thrust Generally it is put into operation operation oper oper- by the local chamber of com com- merce But it reaches out beyond the local local local lo lo- cal chamber and involves all the existing existing exist exist- ing voluntary organizations in the community community community com com- cultural religious labor economic economic economic ec ec- educational civil rights neighborhood neighborhood neigh neigh- civic THE FORWARD Thrust process points the way for all the local voluntary organizations organizations or or- working with government agencies local state and national to identify mutual objectives to define problems to study alternative solutions to establish priorities and to take concerted concerted concerted con con- action This process is already in wide use And because it works successfully its use is spreading The National Chamber serves as a two- two way channel of communication between local voluntary organizations and Con Con- gress Also the Chamber serves as a clearing house of information about what voluntary organizations business and others across the country are doing to improve conditions The new spirit of cooperation between government and the nations nation's strong and effective voluntary organizations is a anew anew anew new note of hope for Americas America's future |