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Show An Appreciation of the Commercial Commer-cial Club from a JVeto Standpoint. "By Fisher Harris. ( Fr four years Past and gone the history of j the Commercial club has been the history of Utah, , and the story of one could not be written without telling the story of the other. It is at least courteous cour-teous to assume that the many good people who have the fortune to read Goodwin's Weekly are intimately familiar with the history of the state in which they live. Therefore, any detailed ex- f ploitation here of the accomplishments of the club would doubtless be regarded by your read- i ers as a repetition of well known facts admir able, perhaps, but needless. Such a recital should bf avoided for the further reason that it would dim the hitherto unclouded reputation of your admirable journal for newness and originality. But there is a phase of the club's work which, I while of grave importance, has not, in my judge ment, received the public appreciation it deserves. I refer to its broad departure, upon occasions, from the beaten paths of time-worn custom with reference to the work proper for a chamber of commerce or board of trade to undertake. Aforetime Afore-time these organizations had to do only with hard, cold business propositions, such as the adjustment ad-justment of freight rates, the compilation of statistics, sta-tistics, home markets, bank clearances, the relation re-lation between labor and capital, and other necessary economic, but otherwise unattractive, subjects. Now, the Commercial club has adjusted freight rates, compiled statistics, encouraged home markets, helped to establish better relations rela-tions between labor and capital, and has successfully success-fully discharged in many other ways the functions func-tions of the old-time organizations. But it has gone much farther than that and has become the recognized patron of the arts, sciences,- music. and the insistent advocate of the commercial value of civic beauty. Its board of governors has been gifted with the divine gift of imagination, and recognizing the fact that the quality of a people is determined largely by their intellectual development, it has earnestly encouraged' the work of singers, artists, educators, scientists and explorers. In line with this policy, it has in the past kept the schools open when they would otherwise have been closed, and its committee on education has been active in other directions. Our vocalists and instrumentalists have produced pro-duced their choicest work in its music rooms, while the chef d'ouvres of our artists and sculptors sculp-tors have adorned the spacious and elegant apartments apart-ments in which the club makes its home. The exploration of the wonders of San Juan county, conducted under the auspices of the club, has resulted in the practical discovery of a land of superlative scenic beauty, which has challenged chal-lenged the attention and admiration of the world. As a consequence of the labors of its committee commit-tee on public improvements and parks, the construction con-struction of the Boulevard, that driveway of unexampled un-exampled loveliness and charm, has been fully assured, and many miles of paved streets added to those already in existence. It is gradually building build-ing up a great commercial and literary library, which in time will become one of the features of our communit1-. A social and commercial symposium is held every day in the lunch rooms and parlors of the club, and as a consequence our people are constantly con-stantly learning' to know and esteem each other better. At its annual banquet, the various elements of our municipal life are foregathered, the accomplishments accom-plishments of the past are discussed and plans laid for the future exploitation of the resources and advantages of the city and state. The field for the exercise of the club's beneficent influences is constantly widening, and if we may judge the ' r "" 1 1 ..... jn, . future by the -past; one may safely prophesy that it will always -be -foiinci in the forefront .of the great fight for the business, social and artistic development of Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. |