The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-11-08
WASTING OUR WEALTH

The Star has long had an idea that
in sending money up north to support
the cheap john advertising shows of
various newspapers and advertising
agencies. the people of Florida were
wasting their wealth. and was gratified
the other day to see Wilbur Mccoy,
immigration agent of the Atlantic
Coast Line, had severely scored one of
the shoddy institutions. The Star
doesn't approve of all that is done by
the railroads, and thinks they might
do many things for the Improvement of
the state that they do not do. however,
what they do is generally solid. They
have better sense than to try to delude
people. Particularly, is this true of
the Atlantic Coast Line which has for
years been offering inducements to
people from less genial chimes to settle
on the lands along its-lines. and while
not making any tremendous cutlery
about IL has achieved much substantial
result. Mr.. Mccoy has brought upon
himself the criticism of the Kissimmee
Valley Gazette, which seems to be de-
luded into the opinion that the cheap
john land shows aforesaid are of benefit
to the state.
The following from the Tampa
Times is quite pertinent to the matter
in dispute:
Land shows
Some little time since the Kissim-
NEE Valley Gazette severely criticised
Wilbur Mccoy, the immigration agent
of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
because that official did not approve OF
the various so-called land shows
carried on every season in several OF
the northern and western cities under
the auspices of certain newspapers.
Mr.. Mccoy very properly resents
said animadversions upon his conduct
and gives many cogent reasons for his
opinions and his conduct in the regard
alluded to. And he is not alone in the
idea that these exhibitions are desti-
tute of good IL they are not actually
productive of harm. There is proba-
bly, no man within the limits of the
state of Florida who has had more
extensive experience and therefore the
facilities for forming better judg.
ment as to what is beneficial or the
reverse in the matter of publicity ir
the line of promoting immigration and
investment than w. B. Powell, the
secretary of the board of trade of the
city of Tampa
POWclI agrees with dnC
cordially endorses what is said by Mr.
Mccoy about these land shows and the
farcical character of the boosting thai
they do for Florida. He is confident
that they do far more harm than good
to the state in the name of which they
are held and conducted.
The exhibits that are made of the
products of the state at these show:
are invariably inadequate. Too small
in quantity and lacking in scope, they
give no adequate idea of the extent Of
the resources and the variety of pro-
ducts of the state.
Those of us who have witnessed
similar exhibitions are aware of the
effect produced upon the minds of in.
vestigators by a too limited showing
of what a state has to offer to the i'm
migrant and investor. 1t is far better
to have no exhibit at all than one thai
is deficient in extent or variety. We
have often heard the sneeringly dis
paraging remarks made by bystanders
over the meagre and defective layout
IN so-called state departments in these
and other more ambitious exhibitions
and we are satisfied from the effect
produced upon our own minds thai
these showings made are worse thar
useless, that they are detrimental tc
the cause they are ostensibly intended
to serve. Mr.. Mccoy is perfectly right
in opposing them and is doing his duty
to his state by giving to the public the
reasons for his opinions.