The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-01-27

tn engage in a great deal of work in
other directions. And come to think
of it the Walla Walla Commercial
club has made considerable progress
| during the past few years. Three years
ago the organization amounted to little
less than cipher with it's ring left
off: today the club has its affairs In
| such shape that it is rather substan-
tial institution and one today that l.
in much better position to go aheac
faster in the future than it has in the
past. Much Of the progress that has
been made is due to the efforts OF an
able president and loyal board OF dl-
rectors who have held office during
the uast two years. In establishing It's
| proposed promotion and publicity oe-
,,artment this journal hopes the COM
mercial club every success. When II
once undertakes the work it does not
want to become easily discouraged IN
recent interview with Tom Richard
son the latter informed the writer that
the publicity department OF the Port
land Commercial club had been at II
some II years; that it took the depart
ment some time to become really ell
cient.
In entering into the publicity bust
ness. to our way of thinking, the one
big thing the local commercial body
will have to consider will be the man
they place at the head Of the new de-
nartment The man engaged should be
thoroughly qualified for the work. AT
no stage Of the game is the production
of vigorous, original and intelligent
publicity for a FIFTY MILLION
DOLLAR VALLEY a light task; II
such a job were placed in the hands
of a so SO gent or an amateur there
would bound to be fiZzle and results
that would be absolutely nil. Let the
man who is selected for this important
Office also be a good platform speaker.
During a years time there are hum
dreds of occasions when this great val
ley needs to be gracefully, intelligent
ly, fCrcefully and enthusiastically rep
resented from the platform before mis-
cellaneous gatherings of Importance
that convene at home as well as
abroad And certain it is that the one
selected for such an office should be an
organizer, a first-class mixer one
who could render no little assistance
from time to time to numerous local
societies or bodies such as park boards,
merchants and other civic associations
etc, of a semi-public nature that are
more or less engaged in work that has
to do with the advancement of the
city OF course, it is taken for grant
ed that as manager of a publicity de-
partment such an one would also be
resourceful and clever press agent and
know full we'll all the details connect
ed with the work of preparing attrac-
tive literature for booklets and the
general press 1t will cost the CONNER
cial club something TO obtain the ser
vices of a man qualified to perform
these duties. They may be compelled
to look around some; but when they
do get him results will be forthcom-
ing. AS We said before it would be too
much to expect a man of medic ore
ability as a publicist to make much
Roadway in keeping to the front OF
these strenuous days a 50-million- dol
lar valley. In setting forth our Observa-
ton, however, in connection with the
Commercial clubs proposed new publ
city department it is not our intention
to cast any reflections on the present
secretary of the organization. The
present secretary of the club is good
business man. In guarding and trans
acting certain business affairs of the
club he is the right man in the right
place. 1t is not expected of him that
ne should be called upon to do the
rather difficult work that a modern
publicity department would have to
undertake. A publicity man is spe-
cialist trained along special lines and
the present secretary of the club or
any other business man can no more
do his work than he can attend to the
duties Of a physician or of a lawyer.
If with the clubs growth there is still
room in the future for the employm ent
for at certain kinds of work that is ne
cessary to the success of the club he is
reliable and efficient"