The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-07-12
REASONS WHY
CITY SHOULD AID
OLD HOME WEEK

The chairman OF the publicity committee
for Old Home Week. Henry A. Barker,
today sent the following letter to mayor
Mccarthy:
Hon. p. J. Mccarthy. Mayor of Prou-
dence City:
My Dear Mr.. Mayor-I am informed that
meetings OF the city council are to be
held this afternoon for the purpose OF con-
sidering an appropriation for Old Home
Week, and | desire. from the standpoint
OF the publicity committee" of the cele-
bration. TO present several reasons why
the city should make proper apprapria-
tion In order that the affair may be such
as will be credhable and beneficial to the
city instead of the reverse.
Many private citizens OF Providence are
giving freely OF their labor and time, and
they and others have already subscribed
an amount nearly as large as has been
subscribed by the people OF Boston for
their celebration on the same week, al
though the Boston affair has been in
preparation for much longer time. The
Boston city council, however, has appro-
prated $4,000 and the Providence city
council nothing
IL was reasonably to be expected that
the generosity OF private citizens in the
expenditure of their own money and per-
sonal services would be supplemented by
proper support from the city. and plans
have been made for a celebration that
would In many ways be unrivalled by
any similar affair that has yet been held
In the United States, and certain features
OF national interest that would call wide
spread attention TO many great natural
advantages and attractions OF Providence.
Several OF the most important OF these
features must be held In aveyance await
ing the support OF the city and the prop
er advertising OF the affair. which. in It
self. ought TO be such valuable adver-
tisement OF the city throughout the ter
ritory naturally tributary To IL, awaits
the same support
In many ways. IL is possible TO make
the Providence celebration more notable
than the Boston one, and as Boston and
Providence draw their prosperity from
much the same territory, and since Provi-
dence has undertaken an affair that will
be in direct comparison with the Boston
one. Ii must not be allowed to be COM
monplace and provincial when small
expenditure may so easily make 1t sur
passing success.
The old Home Week should stimu-
late local pride and thereby help to
make the people consider IL an en-
viable thing 10 be a citizen OF Provi-
dence, for the city that is famous for
its opportunity and pleasures attracts
to itself the better grades of working
people and Industries flourish where
skilled labor is most attractive and
contented to remain.
This is especially important in a
manufacturing city that is far from
the sources of raw materials.
Those who are strenuously working
celebration are looking beyond the inn
mediate effects The development and
advertisement OF the attractions of
Providence Is expected to increase the
number OF our visitors not for one
week alone. but for all time. from that
circle Of nearly one and half mil
lion people who are more convenient
TO our city than to any other large
one
One OF the Providence papers this MORN
ing finds floor for thought in the plan
in St. Paul to spend 100000 I'm the next
two years In advertising the city and re-
marks that IL our Old Home Week leads
to some such results as the ones achieved
in ST. Paul II will be well justified Our
Old Home Week has already caused the
Providence board o ftrade TO undertake
a similar practical work II proper encour-
agement Is given.
We are confronted, the fact that the
city treasury Is very ri. II is generally
possible, however. for Vni object OF suf-
ficient Importance to get necessary sup
port, as was the case at the last meeting
when a appropriation OF $4,000 was
| transferred from the Interest account and
we are told that there are some other
amounts that might be made available
| for Old Home Week i'm n similar way.
Very respectfully submitted.
| HENRY A. BARKER,
| Chairman Publicity Department Old
Home Week.