Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1907-06-25
HAD BEST PAPER
At Oregon Development League
Meeting-B. w. johnson.

menI League, III IOfttdHus TIiUoy, enC
Oregonian states that one of the best
papers read before the meeting Was the
one prepared by B. W. johnson, of Cor
Wallis.
After describing the manner in " hich
the Benton County Citizens League ex-
pended $3.50 in judicious advertising in
1905, which resulted in 1900 answers
from homeseekers in the East, after tell
ing how each of these inquiries was
answered by tle League with personal
letter and by descriptive pamphlet
from Benton, Mr.. Johnson's paper said
"From my information the results of
this advertising were phenomenal. These
replies cost only from &c to 10c each and
when you consider that when we are ad-
vertising for people to come to Benton
county AID invest from $500 to $40 900,
the cost of these replies was exceedingly
small.
"We not only got responses to our
advertisements, but We got the men to
come to this county and locate and the
tangible results OF this advertising are
quite as phenomenal as the fact that We
have received 5000 or 1000 replies from
an expenditure of $500. We absolute
ly know OF number of heads of
families who came here as a direct re-
suit of our advertising and settled IN
this county. Directly and indirectly as
- ~, q
that there has been added to our popula-
ton during the last two years 75O per-
sons and they have invested in Benton
county real estate the sum of 100000.
s'Outside of the cost of printed matter
sent East the actual cost to the league for
postage, typewritiDg and advertising
was about $500. This, however, does
not inclrde any pay for the officers Of
the league who gave their personal
attention to the CORE spondence aud
mailing of printed matter and for which
no remuneration was expected or re-
ceiyed. l can assure you that the Off
GERS were not idle and that the services
they performed, if paid for would have
amounted to several hundred dollars.
II have no doubt that our experience
has been similar to that of other com
mercial organizations in that the
officers of the league haye not had
the financial support necessary to
make the adverti.ing as success
full as it might have been. I have on
two or three occasions outlined an adver-
tising campaign but have never had
sufficient funds to carry it out. To OBJ
tain the best results 1 would suggest q
plan for period Of IL months to cost
500 to $1,000 $3.50 to be expended in ad-
vertising in the classified columns OF
papers having circulation among the
particular class of people that you desire
to reach. With us we were particularly
anxious to reach those engaged in farm
ing, dairying and stockraising, while
some sections of the state might be anx-
ious to reach those engaged in mining
and manufacturing.
'sThe class that is generally desired
in fa.ming. Build up the rural co.nmu'
mites ard the towns will take care o
themselves. Write personal letter tt
verv person who responds to your ad
yer tieement and follow it up every month
with a personal letter until you finally
get him interested. Supplement thi'
fir ON time to time with special editions
of your local papers giving brief write.
ups of you, county and its industries
! Carrying out this plan properly and tt
get the best results, for postage, type
writing and other expenses incident t.
the campaign, it would probably taxi
from $500 to $3.50. When you conside
that every family you locate in th'
county will contribute from $500 t,
$1,000 annually for living expenses, t.
say nothing of his expenditure for faru
machinery and other equipment for hi
farm, it ought not to be difficult to ee
any live county in the state to contribut
such sum annually for judicious adver
tisiug. .~
Every additional dollar invested in tn
county affords source of revenue to tn
county or city in the way of addltions
taxes, so that it is good investment fo
ths taxpayers to assist in attracting out
siders to locate and invest within it
borders. By the joint efforts of tn
business men and the county court a
advertising fund of $500 to $1,000 Nigh
be raised in every county in Orego
without being burden ON anyone
| Some counties might raise more. br
from our experience I believe that $l0O
annually can be spent to splendid ae
vantage by every county in the stat'
The suggestion of mine in conjunctio
with this expenditure contemplate
reaching these people in the East throug