Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-10
new DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
Commercial Clubs of Six States Meet
at Helena May 3 and 4.
WANT TO ADVERTISE NORTHWEST
Governors and Mayors Are Asked to
Appoint Delegates 20 Represent
states and Cities-PreHi-
dent Matthews Talks.

dent Matthews Talks.
GREAT FALLS. Mont. March 9.-(Spe-
cial.)--The Northwestern Development
league will be organized at Helena on
May and T. according to plans agreed
on at the meeting in this city, March 3
and T. Of the Montana Association Of Com
mercial Clubs Secretaries, which has
charge of promoting the new organization.
The association named its president and
secretary, George f. Mathews of Lewis
ton and c. A. Meade Of Helena, and oil
yer NJ. Holmes. secretary Of the local
board OF commerce, to have charge Of all
arrangements for the Helena meeting.
The plans as outlined for the new organ
ization is to have the states Of Washing
ton, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Da-
kots, South Dakota and Minnesota be-
come the members of IT, the session to
perfect the organization being composed Of
delegates to represent the states by the
governors Of the several states, and by
delegates from the scores Of commercial
organizations Of the cities and towns Of
the states.
The committee named has the assurance
that Governor Edward l.. Norris will join
with them in signing an invitation to the
commercial clubs and will send a personal
communication to the governors Of the
states asking them to come in person II
possible and If not to name some person
to represent them at the meeting.
six Governors Expected.
with the official sanction of the gov
ernor and influences at work in the sew
eral states to bring the executives Of
these states to the meeting, It is fully
expected by the committee that there Will
be a half dozen governors on Montana
soil for a couple Of days and from three
to four hundred men anxious to promote
the interests Of the great northwest.
I'VE are going after home builders"
said President Mathews, discussing the
proposed league. I'VE can get people by
the thousands OF some classes, but what
the northwest of today wants is the home
builder-the man who comes with his fam
lily and money to settle on the public do
main and cultivate the soil; the head OF a
family who has the interest Of the COM
and the state at heart and Is
anxious to have the state dotted with
school houses and churches and busy
towns and cities That is the class this
new league, which we have named the
Northwestern Development league, will
seek to interest in this section OF the coun-
try.
I'VE have at heart common interest
and shalt pursue policy which we believe
will promote the common good of all. But
we do not limit individual effort on the
Part OF the states in the league. We ex-
pect that each will pursue individual ef-
fort to bring settlers to its acres Of I'M
used land and we want them to do so.
But there will be larger organization for
cooperation in obtaining things from the
railroads that no one OF the states could
secure separately. sa--
want All the Truth Told.
1T ls the purpose OF the league to have
a president, vice president, q secretary and
a treasurer and a, board of directors made
up of delegates of thetseveral states. There
will also be an executive committee COM
posed OF the best publicity men in each
state of the league. This committee will
meet each three months and will plan
work to be done and check up results for
the preceding months. 1t is expected in
this way to gain the greatest possible
publicity for this section of the country
And here l want to emphasize two facts
What this countryLthe northwest-needs
is correct publicity We do not want ex-
aggeTation. We want the truth. Truth
about this section is marvellous, and yet
It always bears the earmarks of truth
and, therefore, is always believable. There
has been a tendency to Misrepresentation
in two directions. One has been a sort
Of vaingory spirit of uncomfortable
penny-a-lners who write stories to sell to
eastern papers
Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and all that
section of the country have suffered from
the same source. The weather reports al
ways were the worst samples. The crop
failures only were fit for the press. Crops
Of the bumper class did not cause ruff
file of excitement in the news mind Of
this class.
Now the league hopes to rectify this
by inspiring the sources Of news with the
truth. We want them to tell of the de-
lightful weather and the beautiful skies
and the natural attractiveness of the en-
tire country. with these things set be-
fore the people as they are the north
vests future is assured, and II we can
do this we have Justified the putting a
new league into the field.
WIN Advertise in East.
I'VE shall advertise through the east and
It may be later send a man or men through
the eastern centsrs to do personal work
with land agencies there in directing set
tiers TO us. eW hope and expect TO CO.
tiers to us. We hope and expect to CO.
their exhibit cars through the middle and
eastern states. This source Of advertis-
ing is most profitable one and there
seems to be good assurances we shall be
given hearty support by the railroads
whose lines tap this section.
1--WE want to divert the immigration now
going to the southwest and to the Cana
dian northwest to this section. We hope
TO get 1t through st. Paul and Minneapolis,
but II it comes to US through Omaha we
shall not feel hurt. We shall try to make