Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1907-03-27
BE REPRESENTED AT JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION

was pledged to be used to advertise the
island. Nearly forty representative
taxpayers assembled at the meeting and
one would suspect from the energetic
way question after question was ham
died that this was the eawakening night
from long winters sleep. Borough
Council also convened at the borough
hall. At the hour set for the meeting
of the Board of Trade there was little
doing at Willard Hall and ouncil had
monopoly of attention. To start the
ball rolling the board appointed COM
mittee to wait upon the solons and to
heighten the interest the whole gath
ering repaired to the Council chamber.
A highly interesting letter from Thos.
Martindale was read as follows, he be-
ing unable to be present:
THOMAS MARTINDALE's LETTER
Wild wood, N. J., Mar. %, 1907.
Mr.. S. F. Mcknight,
Sec. Wildwood Board of Trade.
Dear Sir
Answering your request that should
be with the Board of Trade at its meet
ing on Tuesday night, thought it
wise to say few words to the Board
in preference to sending you a simple
letter of regret, at my inability to be
with you on that evening. l am told
that the Council has or will appro-
pirate $1,000 for the purpose of advertis-
ing the resort for the coming season
aud that by so doing a number of
men who before contributed to the
general advertising fund will decline
to con inue their subscriptions because
they will have to pay their share of
the $1,000 in the shape of increased
taxation. Likewise one wealthy man
who has amassed comfortable fortune
on the island informed me tkz2.>bad
been going down into -
years 10 help the place along, but by
reason of the fact that some three other
men who have considerable interests
upon the Island did not subscribe a
dollar last year that he considers him.
self absolved from contributing at
present.. It's pity that these three
men failed to pay their just share III
the burden last year, but perhaps
from certain unknown reasons they
couldn't afford to do SO, and perhaps
they may not only contribute this year
but do SO literally enough to make up
for their failure TO do SO last year;
however, their total contributions for
three years back were less than $1,000
for the whole of that period. So it
would seem that the measure of the
enterprise of the business men of Wild
wood is guaged by the failure of three
interests to contribute at the most
$3.50 collectively for the season of 1906.
When / was fortunately brought to
Wildwood in 1908, the assessed valu-
alton was in the neighbornood of
$3.50, 900, there was but very little
"Vimp or go among the business men,
the resort was but little known out
side of Philadelphia and New Jersey.
tising was planned and executed
which produced most marvellous and
very unexpected results and the ASSESS
ment for that year jumped to $56S,00
In 1905 we improved very much upon
the work of the previous year and we
commenced to obtain visitors from
widely divergent parts of the United
States as result of the advertising
of 1904. The assessment for 1905 in
creased to $765,000. In 1906 another
remarkably successful advertising
plan was devised and splendily car
ried out with another astonishing
measure of success, the assessment
going up to over Sl,600,000. 1T is a
| truism among up-to-date business men
that at least one per cent of the gross
receipts of the years turnover should
be expended in advertising. There is
no knowing how much Wildwood's
receipts were last year but to put it at
safe estimate let US say $5,000,000
One per cent upon that amount would
be 5O,O0O which by the rule given
above should be raised for advertising
and yet it is proposed that Council
should appropriate $1,000. Franklin
said "that we must either go with the
stream or against it, without motion
there is nothing but stagnation.n At
lanticCity is raising fund of 81 100000
for aA (ifu Rooutif,.IU proianf ha-
sides raising large fund for advertis-
ing. The government is to expend
81, PIG, 900 at Cape May for a harbor of
refuge and one enterprise there prom
ises to expend S6,OOO,00O in improve
ments and having already spent over
two millions we may be certain that
their nronises will be fulfilled As