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PAGE 2. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2. 1979. WHITBY FREE PRESS Chamberhas 71% growth Membership in the Whitby Chamber of Commerce grew by 71 per cent last year keeping pace with the town itself as it was the fastest growing municipality in the Durham Region, The chamber now has 192 members in good standing compared with 112 at the start of the year. According to interim 1979 president Mike Burgess the growth in the chamber was the result of strong mem- bership drive early in the year. "I would say that it is mostly on account of that drive," he said. "It seems that in the past year we have been a little more visible than in the past." Most of the new members are companies with a few individuals also becoming involved he said. This increase in member- ship will result in the cham- ber gaining a greater in- WHITBY PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT REGISTRATION for Winter Programs is tomorrow, January 3, 1980 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at Whitney Hall in the Iroquois Park Complex. Our brochure will be available shortly, and can be obtained from any of our facilities. For more information call 668-5803, ext. 33. Whitby merchants say... Not their best year come than in the past and is gaining more strength in dealing with various gover- ninents Burgess said. "It had been at the same level for a number of years, sort of up and down a bit," Burgess said. "What is more important is that it enables the chamber to more properly represent the business community." Burgess became interim president early in 1979 when the -then president John Roberts resigned because of business problems. Suc- ceeding Burgess is Marguerite Kulik who will serve as president for 1980. Burgess said that the chamber had an excellent year despite the change in presidents and other problems. It's financial statement shows the chamber's income as just over $11,000 in in- come from dues, grants, and special projects. One third of the money went to finance the operation of the tourist im- information booth on Brock Street South. Greater use of the facility was experiences after it was moved from the Four Cor- ners to the intersecion of Brock and Burns Streets, Burgess said in a newsletter from the chamber office. The booth handled 1,825 requests for information during the 12 week peak summer period the newslet- ter said. Christmas sales began slow but picked up considerably later in the month. Mr. Mesher is hopeful that 1980 will be a more prosperous year. Clay Kirby of S.K.R. Gifts in the Woolco Mall felt that his sales "were definitely slow but that as he has only been open one year he can not compare his sales to those of 1978. Sales for the Calico Cat were up considerable in 1979 over 1978, Judy Christmas was happy to announce. She felt that the reason for this increase in sales was due to the fact that people find it cheaper to make products than to buy them. Andrews Shoes in the Woolco Mall was the only other business that felt it had increased its sales over last year. Hopefully the year 1980 and a new decade will mean increased prosperity for local and national retailers. ever On a whole it seems to be the national concensus that retail sales for 1979 were down when compared to the retail sales figures for 1978. This may be true for the country as a whole but how did Whitby fare in 1979? From what we could discover it seems that Whit- by suffered from low retail sales in the year 1979 along with the rest of the country. Often local retail stores surveyed, four said that their sales for 1979 were definitely down from their 1978 sales, one said they were even with last years sales, two said that their retail sales were up over last years and the three remaining ones felt that they could not comment on their sales at this time. C. F. Mesher, owner of Mesher Jewellers felt that he hadn't had a bad year but that it could have been bet- ter. Mr. Mesher said that