The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-04-21
STATE BOARD OF TRADE
Editor of Chicago Magazine Writes
the journal Regarding the Deycl-
Opment of Yermont's Resources.

editor of the magazine Town Devel-
opment," and an expert on the de-
veloping of towns and cities, writes
the journal as follows:
Chicago, ILL.,, March 10, 1910.
Editor Journal
The good people of Vermont are
overlooking great business oppor-
tunity.
To take advantage of this oppor-
tunity, two things are necessary:
A. You must teach your own people
that they do not need to leave New
England in order to make living.
B. You ought to undertake a sys-
tematic campaign of education to
teach the people of the South and
Central West that New England is
the country in which to spend their
vacation.
In this way you would keep YER
mont people at home where they
ought to stay and would bring more
people into the. State, which they
ought to visit and know more about.
In going over the last pages Of
Town Development today, just be-
fore going to press with our April
number, find we are reprinting the
following paragraph from the New
York Commercial:
Ninety Million Tourist Business.
Speakers at the annual dinner of
the Boston Merchants Club took no
exception to the statement by one of
their number, that tourists or sum-
mer visitors or summer boarders in
whichever category they may be
placed, leave $60,OOO,000 in cold
cash" in New England every yearj
and statisticians of the business add
another $30OO0,000 that automobile
lists, speeding in and out of the six
States, spend there annually without
becoming regular guests of hotels or
boarding houses at all The figures
are not exaggerated
Just think of it; $90,000,000 in mon
ey left by tourists in New Enkland.
That means s15,000,000 each for
the six New England States.
Does Vermont get her share?
Can any one assign a good reason
why Vermont may not in competition
for tourists get as many as either OF
the other five New England States?
Now let me tell you an important
fact; our people out here in the
great, rich Central West, know no.
thing of the scenic and summer CHI
Ematic attractions of New England
They ought to know about this for
their own good and for the good OF
New England.
We have never been educated to &c
to New England for our vacations
and for broader education in our
own country's history, geography and
resources.
We go West or North in summer.
Why? Because the railroads and
the summer resort interests tell us
to. Americans respond to advertising
Our Middle West people could
easily be educated to go to Vermont
in summer if the Green Mountain
State would spend little money fol
magazine and newspaper advertising
space.
That $90,000,000 tourist business
in New England could soon be
brought up to s1SO,OO0,G0o.
Is it worth while?
Your folks should get together and
organize Vermont State Board OF
Yrade for the advancement of the re-
sort, agricultural and industrial, i'm
portance of Vermont.
In the December number OF Town
Development, we printed an article
on the Importance of New England
people understanding the agri-
cultural possibilities and attrac.
tons of New England farms before
rushing off to the land of milk and
honey beyond the horizon.
Perhaps the best way to go ..bout
this, is for every village, town and
city in the State to first organize its
own commercial club or development
organization, made up of membership
of every citizen and taxpayer not
only in the town, but in the township
impossible" eXclaim most consar.
vative Vermonters.
Quite possible and entirely feast.
BILE" | say in response.
How?
BY going to work and starting al
, home in your community; by calling
a meeting and explaining the pur.
poses and objects of the local and the
proposed State organization. Do moi
just ask the people to subscribe fol
membership but undertake system.
attic campaign of membership as care.
fully as the census is now being ia.
ken, so that no man who owes it &c
himself and his community to lend
his support can escape.
Dreaming about this sort of thing
does little good. 1t takes work and
lots of it.
If the membership dues are placed
at a fair sum not prohibitive and YET
not too low. great sum of money