The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-08-07
TOWN BOOM AGENTS,
Every Citizen May Become a Lo-
cal Publicity Bureau.
PROMOTE FACTORY SITES

Merchants particularly SoHSeTHeo 'i'
Having Such Establishments Locate.
Some Hints as to How Prosperity
Campaign May Be Made.
The city publicity bureau is becom-
ing fixed institution in this country.
Many cities particularly in the north
west. maintain regular bureaus for the
propagation of publicity concerning
their attractions and advantages.
Even Boston, the hub of the uni
verse" fifth in population in the Unit
ed States. is engaged in such cam
paign for city booming.
1t is perhaps unreasonable to expect
small town to maintain paid pub
licity agent, yet there are some of the
smaller cities which seem to find 1t
profitable. The average town must be
doomed by. volunteers. Every citizen
may constitute himself a publicity
agent and proceed to make his town
better known to outsiders.
The big city bureaus take up such
matters as factory sites and opportuni-
ties. local trade advantages and the
like, The small town resident can do
likewise with n reasonable promise OF
ACCOMPLISHING something for the good
of his community. In these days OF
overcrowding in large cities. with
high cost Of living. high rents for floor
space and other unfavorable conditions
many manufacturers are on the look
out for available country towns IN
which 10 locate their plants or to es-
tabliSh branch plants.
The advantages Of location In Il
smaller town are obvious. In nearly
every town Of few thousand people
there are many young persons unem'
ployed who would welcome heartily q
chance to get a job with some manu-
featuring concern. Both boys and girls.
young men and young women. are
available in the average town for fac
tory work. In the absence of such op-
portunities they are inclined to leave
home and seek work In the cities,
where at best the chances for success
and happiness are but meager.
With many parents In the smaller
towns there Is constantly present the
pathetic dread of parting from their
children. because the latter, approach
ing maturity. are ambitious to get into
the big world outside and earn more
than they can earn at home. with q
manufacturing concern located In your
town you can keep your children at
home. where tine conditions Of living
are vastly superior to the city condi-
tions.
The town merchant is particularly
concerned in this matter. branch
shoe factory. for instance, not only
will give employment to the unem
ployed at home. enabling them to earn
money for spending at home stores
but it will bring new families to town
A monthly payroll of several thou
sand dollars means just that much
more money in local circulation The
merchant gets the benefit of the in
creased demand for all the ne"eS$arieS
of life and for some of the luHuries.
Almost any town possesses Il Suita'
BILE site for some sort Of manufactur'
ing establishment. In good aSricnI'
tural communities a canning factory
works in every direction to benefit the
people. 1t supplies a home market fol
the farmers and gardeners produce
Itegives employment to home people
1t brings more money for home circu'
lation.
If there Is no fund in sight for the
employment OF an agent to pust
things in this line. the local business
people might get together and 40 muc[
toward making the advantages or the
town known to manufacturers II
search of locations outside the big
cities. One excellent plan suggested
by an expert in these matters IS te
have q tasty booklet or circular print
ed at the local printery. setting fortl
the merits Of the town and surround
ing country. giving population figures
transportation advantages, prices OF
available factory sites and such othel
information as the occasion may indi
cate. This booklet should be kept Or
hand by the merchants and other busi
ness people in quantities sufficient t'
enable them to inclose& copies in every
letter written to outsiders.
Another plan that has worked wei
in :ome towns is for the business mel
to '!ub together and buy some regulal
aG"crtising space in the home newspa
p,r where interesting information con
corning the town may be kept stand
irg. AS matter Of fact, only the
,ype will be kept standing. The infor
I nation thus expressed will trave
widely. 1t can be made to travel Still
.uore widely If the citizens will secure
9 ira copies and mail them where they
| will do the most good.
A town in which every responsible
citizen is a walking, talking. writing
| fighting publicity, bureau and towl
boomer is not calculated to remain
very long an unknown quantity. Ilt
| outside world will discover that tha
town Is on the map and will not have
to stick a pin in the atlas at that poin
| to remember the fact.
The writer once knew q man IN
Missouri town who was regarded by
his friends as q benevolent lunatic be
| ........ La u:ont u nrnllnl tullsinO LID hi.