The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-31
SUMMER AslAIl h Yatmsak

III every county 10 Vermont lad
It's big summer hotel. does any one
doubt that they would be freely pat.
ronized? "-Burlington Free Press.
Not today. probably. The public at
large is coming to know more and
more about the outing attractions of
Vermont in each succeeding year.
and the prospects all point to con
stantly increasing business of this
kind.
But only where the community is
prepared to take care of it,
And that means only where there
are attractive, clean, well-managed
hotels.
The old-fashioned roller-towel tay.
ern will not do.
If The Messenger were to venture
any comment by way of qualifying
the suggestion of the esteemed Free
Press, ii would be that Vermont does
not stand so much in need of big
summer hotel" in each county, as ii
does of decent, well-appointed hotels,
modest in pretensions, and proper
toned in size to the demands of the
region where they are doing business
Hotels that are not simply great
summer carayansaries and closed
half the year, but hotels that will be
open and advertise Vermont with
cheerful hospitality all the twelve
month. We need more TO raise the
standard of the general average Of
Vermont hotels all through the state.
town by town, than to have fourteen
big summer housese for the special
care of outside guests, and all orga-
nized to give special guests special
care for a special season, rather
than to serve all guests with whole
some hospitality all the year around.
And the argument in support of
that opinion is, simply, that Vermont
will never gain anything by turning
! herself Wrongside out in a vain at
tempt to emulate few fast seaside
resorts in the summer amusement
business, while she will gain material
~ by a sober-minded endeayor to
take care of the great number of well
disposed people that are weary of the
Coney Island bare of most OF these
resorts and would like to get back
comparatively near to Nature and en-
JOY a real rest.
Economically Vermont will not pro
fit much by attempting to cater to the
frivolous multitudes that swarm the
ocean resorts. The nature of such
crowds is capricious and tickle.
Cloyed and stated appetites for amuse
ment respond only to the passing en-
| ticement of the latest thriller" and
men and women that have seen all
there is TO see are hard to please.
From another viewpoint than the
mere matter OF money. Vermont is
Just as well off if she does not intro
duce such Vanity Fair into her beau
tiful outdoors. Her charms are too
sweet and fair and virgin-like TO be
circused in this fashion. Perhaps that
is only sentiment, and dollars are dol
lars. But Vermont is our home, and
we must not, we cannot, turn ii into a
mere show-place to be exploited by
strolling mobs of frivolous pleasure
chasers whose only measure OF rec
reation is the price they pay for 1t.
Then again, not to be too Phari
saical, not to be too good to associate
with neighbors-even men OF the
world, men that have been. and seen
and done, can well pause and ask
themselves whether. after all, II
would be good social economy-not
financial economy. but social econo
my-to Introduce a great part of the
extravaganza follies OF pretentious
summer resorts into the pastoral
charm of Vermont.
OF course, The Free Press does
not mean by big sumner hotels" to
include all the undesirable things The
Messenger has pointed out. But this
paper will venture the suggestion It's
neighbor will agree that steady
acknowledgement coming OF a
splendid "middlecass" OF sensible
vacation seekers, content to find rest
in comfortable and decent houses oil
an unpretentious kind, for the most
part, would do Vermont more good
in every way. than to attempt to cat
er to the jaded taste of tickle light
weights that simply are looking fol
an opportunity to spend too much
money in a new way.-St. Adams
Messenger