Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-05-31
THE PAID BOOSTER.


Medford has no professional booster
at fancy salary, like Eugene anC
Roseburg. Instead, she has wha
these towns haven't-every citizen {
booster.-Medford Tribune
Medfords kind of boosting is tbs
best kind of all When every citizen
Of a town is ready and anxious to dc
all in his power to advance its inter
ests, the services of a paid booster are
not needed. The fact is, boosting, as
profession, is on the wane in Oregon.
Some of the cities and towns that have
been subscribing thousands of dollars
annually to pay fancy salaries to a
"hot-air" artist and beYy Of peroxide
stenographers are beginning to pause
and ask themselves, us it worth what
it costs?"
The Observer has always believed
that the best way to boost a town is to
get in and do something for the town.
If the expenditure of a few dollars
or a little effort will secure a manu-
featuring industry that will give en-
ployment to labor and add to the
monthly payroll, go after that in
tation facilities are needed, get better
transportation facilities. If improved
streets win add to the prosperity of
the town, improve them-and don't
whine about the cost. And so with
the schools, and churches, and water
works, and sewerage, and parks, and
all things else that better local condi-
tions and make life worth living. This
il the substantial work-the work
that counts 1t is job for men. Run
ming around over the country and
"rah-rahing" like lot of college /
freshmen may be all right from a
standpoint of frolie and fun but it ac-
complishes nothing. Neither is it good
business to pay a fancy salary to
professional eXaggerator for litera-
ture to attract homeseekers, when
there is no employment in the town for
them after they arrive. Such victims
invariably go away disappointed and
the town gets some free advertising of
a decidedly undesirable sort.
Dallas has sometimes been accused
of being slow because its people have
not grown enthusiastic over the So
called twentieth century booster meth
DDS. Only once have the business men
permitted themselves to be persuaded
into putting their money into a boost
Ing" scheme, and in this one instance
the town received little or no benefit.
On the other hand it is doubtful if .
another town of equal size in the !
Northwest has spent as much good,
hard coin in securing needed indus
tries and in making substantial i'm
as has Dallas. The ex-
perience of this town has been the
'ame as that Of Medford-it has talked {
little and done much 1t has looked
lut for the substantial things; its cit
zens have worked together like MEM
'ers of one family for the public good,
md the result has been steady and
permanent growth. :
The writer recalls one instance -
where a professional advertising solic- ;,
tor, sent out by city publishing con-
ern to which country dollars looked =
-ood, came into this office and threw Il
lis hat on the desk i'm complete dis :,
ust. This is the slowest town / ever A
truck" he exclaimed. Here, / have
allied on every business and profess -
,nal man in the city. and not one have
found who is willing to put up a =,
ent to help advertise your town i'm -
he literature we are preparing to send
ut What is the matter with you o,
eople anyway" After giving him =
me TO catch his breath and cool down
omewhat, we answered i'm this wise:
Brother, without taking time to in ~
estigate the merits OF your scheme. -
Just occurs to US that possibly those
ierchants who did investigate It did n
OF consider it worth as much as YOU =
link II Is. II is further possible that
ou are In measure right when YOU
,clare that Dallas is a little slow. =,
any Of us have often asked ourselves
neither we could not with profit spend
little more money I'm making our =.
ivantages and resources known to the
.tside world? You have seen ht to de- ,,
'unce these business men as slow
ow, We VIII make you this PROPOSE -,
'n; Come back 70 Dallas in a week
IN proposal to establish a factory -
at viii add 10 the monthly payroll
en- one that will add only a few
inbred dollars a month. Visit that
me merchant who refused TO quit -.
: work to listen TO your advertising =
heme; tell him you want 20 bring "a,
industry 10 Dallas that will in
Ease the payroll. When you mention
g word payroll. kindly notice how ~
iekly he VIII sit up and begin to &c, nc
crested. Before passing hast, 0'''
igment on these merchants you
ye Just interviewed. remember that
ferent towns have different ways Of '.ol ~
living for the same result"
As remarked at the outset. Dallas cue
, talked little and cone much. Ana va
3 safe to predict that when the re- .li''
Of the recent census count is an = :, !,
inced. Il win Be found thar the
lnty seat of Polk County has made .'.e'
'reater percentage Of gaia Ga popu- -
On than has been reached by many =
the towns that have been boosted -
professionals. Il is known that
ny q the towns that have been -,
aest IN their boosting methods are -
.ady grieTousiy disappointed In -
r census returns.
Aie