The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1911-02-01
No. 5


suggestions. First, it is desira -.
BILE, we think. to establish an
active and permanent system Of
I publicity. There should be q
central bureau or press agency
OF information covering the
entire section we operate in,
which would be a recognized
point of the contract between
the railroads and the people,
both our own and those we
seek. By this cooperation
would be increased and uni
formity of action secured.
| suggest that sum of not less
than 1850. 900 be appropriated
by the railroads on basis Of
line mileage for the purpose Of
advertising the territory | have
mentioned Leaving these for
your consideration, will, at
the risk of over. emphasis, again
revert to the need of co opera
ton. We should put ali the
country on notice that we ere
in the immigration business,
but to DO that on a scale large
enough to reach all the people
and carry conviction would
require an expenditure greater
than any single railroad com
pany would, perhaps. care TO
undertake: If it is done, it is
necessary that it be done by
joint action. should like to
hold out the promise that the
different States and municipal
ties would join in such an ex-
penditure, but we need not
expect that until we show that
we can co operate together and
prove what can be accomplish
ed When we have done this:
when we have demonstrated
our own ability TO handle big
question in q broad way, we
will find the people are working
with us and will spend dollar
for dollar with us. The news
papers are with us now, and, in
fact, have already done more
than we have. Now, gentle
men, it will not do to say of
these newspapers and boards of
trade that it is easy enough for
them to shout for liz to Ego
ahead when it is for us to put
up the money; for, in the first
place, as | can show you, they
are putting up their money
already. y newspapers space
is its money, and of that we
have already got the value and
the promise OF a still greater
expenditure by them. And as
to the boards of trade, have in
hand the evidence from one
which is paying monay for the
addresses of persons who have
gone from this section, and
which addresses are to be given
to us Is not that the right spirit
of co operation!
think you will quite agree
that we need the peoples help
in our work. | think also that
you see clearly that the spirit of
cooperation in ourselves begets
a like spirit among the people.
The question is, Are we gong
to use the opportunity as we are
asking the people to use theirs:
Both the back home move
ment' and the $l50,O00 adver-
Using campaign proposed 10
you have caught the public ear.
They have been given space in
the New York, Philadelphia
and Chicago newspapers. and
in a majority of those in the
South IL has been so because
in their nature they are some
what removed from the dead
leyel of the commonplace, and
the public is responsive. In
short, we offer To you today a
full-iledged, popular plan OF
campaign for drawing more
people into these States, and
much as you may inveigh
against what is merely popular,
we must admit that when we
are dealing with great masses
of people, popularity is of ut
most value. This has been the
secret of real power since the
world began, and will continue
TO be for all time. The main
thing is TO turn the popular
thought to practical purpose.
NoXy wa have the Dlans and