The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-12-21
CONCENTRATED PUBLICITY

1dtlQS Oh WaSnlnSCOnS COmmerCldl
club bodies, and all other interested
companies and individuals for the pur-
pose of carrying on a systematic non
sectional campaign for the settlement
and development of this state. The
cold truth of the matter is that we
are not receiving the proportion OF
western colonists to which our rich
resources and special advantages en-.
title us.
Both Oregon and Idaho, our sister
states, are carrying on publicity cam
paings at home and in the east on large
scale and properly systematized, and
they are filling up with settlers. Wash
ington has made the greatest gain in
population and wealth OF any state
in this section in the last ten years
This is especially true in every land
selling center in eastern and western
Washington and real estate represen-
tatives from the different districts as
well as the commercial clubs will beal
out this statement
Two causes are especially RESPONSE
BILE, for our present disasters, namely
the lack of state wide publicity work
without prejudice, and the indiscrim-
mate advertising of Washingtons high
est priced fruit lands.
Taking up the last named cause, we
find that eastern people have a gen.
eral idea that land in Washington has
passed beyond the reach of the pool
man or the man of moderate means
Two or three Yakima men who recent
ly attended the Chicago Land Show
and visited Chicago real estate offices
nr-fe otc fl,o I,
sideration. One man said that in prac-
tically all of twenty or twenty-five
offices where he called and asked re-
garding western lands, he was immed-
lately referred to Idaho or oregon
When he mentioned Washington, he
was told that while it was at least
an equal in wealth and resources OF
the other two states, that land out
here was selling at prohibities prices
and that our own advertising laid
special stress on two thousand and
three thousand dollars an acre fruit
land with all other land in proper
ton.
None of the offices had a word to
say against Yakima, Wenatchee, Spo-
kane, Walla Walla, Kennewick, Co
lumbia River, or Puget Sound fruit
districts, except to state with empha-
sis that land was out of reason in
price. The Yakima man was con-
stantly referred to Oregon and Idaho
as presenting the cheapest agricul-
tural land and leading districts were
named to him in both states It
seemed to be merely case of eff you
go to Washington it will cost you
the highest price paid in the west for
land, while you can get the same
thing elsewhere for half the money!
1t would appear that everywhere
the talk is Oregon, Idaho, and cheap
land, and with these two states main
tanning advertising bureaus of national
repute 1t is easy to see where WASH
ington is going to get Off. In the
downtown business center of Chicago,
Idaho and Oregon maintain state pub
licity offices from which real estate
men are barred further than the fact
that their printed matter is accepted
and distributed. In these offices there
are displays Of products, complete
sets of photographs and pictures,
maps, and abundance of good printed
matter, and men to talk up the coun-
try The rivalry between the sections
friendly nature and the advertising
from one district fits with that of an
other because of a uniform system
adopted.
Washington's publicity work is be-
ing carried on in a scattered way by
the different sections, and the con-
sequence is that like scattered shot,
little of it reached the mark. 1t Is
worth nothing here that the Northern
Pacific railroad company did not have
an exhibit at the Land Show at all,
this year, while the Union Pacific and
Southern Pacific lines took all the
space they could get. 1t is also worth
recording here that the resources and
advantages of Oregon are being pub
lished county by county under the CO.
operative community plan of the Ore
gon Railroad and Navigation company
Some of the finest booklets being is
sued in the northwest today come from
Oregon under this plan and that they
are doing the work is not to be doubt
ed for a moment. Here is method
of state exploitation that could well
be followed by other states besides
Oregon. Its strength lies in its uni
formity and completeness.
Now there is no good reason in the
world why Washington does not get
into the publicity game on the same
basis as other states instead of allow
ing this work to be done by the diff
ferent sections. The suggestion of
feasible, cooperative plan, the feeling
of a community of interests between
different districts in the state, a small
assessment upon those most interest
ed, and commercial bodies organized
TO promote development, and a little
work under competent leadership
would soon do the business. If some
of the Commercial clubs in this state
would take the lead in bringing such
plan to maturity, Greater Wash
ngton Publicity Bureau would very
soon be an established fact.
So far as the DOGGY of high priced
land is concerned Washington should
take measures at once to set eastern
ers right. 1t is true that we have land
in Washington which is probably
worth more and actually sells for
higher price than any other land in
the northwest, but it is equally true
that Washington still has cheap land
and enough moderate priced property
to prove an inducement to prospec-
tive settlers for some years to come
The high priced land merely indi-
Gates what we are capable of doing
here and is by no means the only
land for sale in the state.
There is plenty of good fruit land
for sale in Washington at prices
equally as low as can be found in
either Oregon, Idaho, or Montana and
all we need TO do to get it settled
is to turn our share of immigration