A reporter in conversation with the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce today stated that, “Well, I guess you are satisfied since the new hotel project has been put over.” He was quickly informed that this movement only stirred the ambition of the Chamber. When asked what in his opinion was the outstanding feature of the campaign, the secretary replied, in part, “the spirit of cooperation and determination shown by the business interest has been worth as much to the town as the hotel itself will mean. Hundreds of business men who had not visited our office for five years came into our office and got an inside view of the activities, and I believe that in the future (line obscured) as the one organization that devotes its entire time to city and community developments. Why several of our business men have voluntarily joined the Chamber since the campaign. Satisfied? No, this project is just the beginning of Goldsboro’s awakening. Neither you or any other citizen of our city today will live to see the time when we are not building.”
What is the next most commercial development, was the next question asked by the newspaper man. The secretary responded, “a modern apartment house.” The need of (a) 30- or 50-family apartment house is as great as the need of additional hotel facilities. Never a day passes that we do not have an inquiry from some out-of-town person by telephone or in person, for apartments. We cannot hope to increase our population, bank deposits or commercial shopping until we provide facilities to take care of hundreds of people that would live in our city were we able to offer them accommodations. You ask why these people don’t built homes—there are many reasons—traveling men are not able to buy and build, another big reason is traveling men don’t want to leave their wives and families alone in a house several days out of a week. An apartment house will take care of this.
(Line obscured) men are not members of the Chamber, stated the reporter. “There is a reason,” replied the secretary. “It isn’t because these people are not willing to contribute their moral and financial aid to our efforts, it is simply that they haven’t seriously thought about what the Chamber stands for. Within the next week or 10 days we are going to give these men an opportunity to join the Chamber and I feel sure that every man in Goldsboro will avail themselves of this privilege.”
When asked if he considered it a privilege, the secretary replied that it was certainly a privilege to have a part in the building up of our community.
From the front page of the Goldsboro News, Wednesday, March 19, 1924.
The Qui Vive means alert, lookout, or carefully keeping watch.
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