Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-16
HOME PRODUCTS
WEEK WINNER
FRANCES HOLINESS THOUGHT
STARTS CAMPAIGN
Prosperity for Southern California
VIII Be Increased If All CO.
. operate to Make Plan
Big Success

Miss Frances Holmes was christened
"the girl with ten million dollar idea"
at the chamber of commerce yester-
day when Secretary Frank Virgins
made the surprising announcement that
it was she who evolved the entire plan
of prosperity week to boom home pro-
ducts.
1t has been estimated since the COM
mercial world and general public en-
Enthusiastically took hold of the plan to
have the people buy nothing but home
manufactured goods for a certain six
days, that this will bring not less than
$40, 100000 worth of real, tangible pros
perity to- Southern California. This, In
that it will keep great amounts of capt.
tai at home that normally goes east,
will give additional employment to
hundreds of persons and will perma-
nently widen the market for our own
goods.
Thus Miss Holmes brain throb," ac-
cording to Mr.. Virgins, should properly
be priced at ten million dollars.
For several days congratulations
have poured in upon Secretary Virgins,
as the author and inventor Of pros
perity week, until yesterday he declined
to accept them any longer and an
nounced that to Miss Holmes belonged
all the credit.
Miss Holmes is demure and comely
little brunette who lives with her par
ents at 2201h Ocean View avenue, In
the Westlake district.
Evolved Bright Idea
She evolved the idea over night that
a loyal public like that of Southern
California only purchased eastern
and foreign goods, paying higher prices
and freight rates for inferior goods,
through carelessness, and that they
easily could be aroused to patronize
home industry and thus help themselves
as we'll as the section, If they only were
stirred to the Importance of 1t.
The young woman presented COM
plete plan to devote one week to gem
eral exclusive buying of home goods
and to call the period prosperity week,
and laid the plan before Secretary Wig
gins.
Although Secretary Virgins listens
to about twenty schemes" for saving
the country per week, and turns down
most of them, he instantly became in
terested in this one of Miss Holmes.
He in turn laid 1t before the board of
directors, and they were unanimous in
their approval.
The public has been positively en-
thusiastic, and from present indications
Los Angeles and Southern California
will reap millions from the young wo-
mans happy inspiration.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
association will pursue the opportuni-
ties offered by the uprising for home
products by following up prosperity
week with a systematic personal can
vass for the use of native goods.
For Prize Slogan
The only big question yet to be de-
cided is the slogan which is to be tht
official byword Of the occasion, and thii
is to be selected from contributions by
the people In competition for $40 prize
offered by the publicity committee. The
public is given until o'clock next
Saturday evening to submit candidates
for the prize and for the great honor OF
selecting the official battle cry.
Several hundred notices already have
been submitted, but these will not be
judged until all of them are in Satur-
day evening. The notices are numbered
in the order received to protect the
authors.
The children yesterday Joined in the
phrase coming.
Miss Mildred Kennedy, the 13-year-
old daughter of H. D. Kennedy, the
mayors secretary, yesterday sent in
from Glendale this pretty suggestion: