Holbrook argus., 1912-06-04
BEST METHOD OF
 ADVERTISING CITY
Address Delivered Before Ban' quet of Iowa Ad. Men in Ce- dar Rapids, by ). R. Bab-
 cock, of Dallas, Tex.

and railroads. It Is living, pulsating entity; it's soul the sum of all the characteristics of its citizenship; its body, the ground, underlaid with its arterial system of water, drained and cleansed by it's sewers, overlaid by highways, car lines and bridges; it's clothing, the showing 1t makes to It's friends, the other cities when they come to call. The clean street Is the cities we'll kept garb and the shaded parks, its smile ofwelcome; the play ground glimpse of its humanity.
 The same impulse which dresses a man in clean, well-ftting clothes, or an advertisement in clear type on fine paper, should prompt the soul of the city to present its best appear ance to the world. Realizing that the word of mouth advertising is beyond price, and that clothes ofttimes make the man.
 Civic attractiveness means not Identification alone, but the city healthful, with clean streets; the city convenient, with good car service as well as artistic trolley poles; with good government, as well as a magni- ficent city hall.
 Limit it however to externals, and it can be shown that civic attractive ness pays not only in making health fer, happier and better citizens, but commercially and industrially, civic attractiveness Is one of the best mu- nicipal assets and certainly the best municipal advertisement.
 Dirt, dust and disorder have driven many an otherwise good merchant on the rocks of failure. We buy our goods from the retailer who has the cleanest, most attractive stock, the best delivery system, but not neces- sarily the lowest prices; today we are willing to pay for efficiency; the time value, the place value, the art value are factors that influence busi- ness
 Cities compete for trade; the GUS toner arrives in your town at a dirty, dangerous and disgraceful railroad station; he inhales a draught of sew CT gas and factory smoke, seizes his grip and starts the short walk to his hotel; stranger in a strange land, he tries to get his bearings; his hotel is at the corner of Pacific and Pearl but no street signs appear; a cloud of dust from dirty street blinds his eyes and he just escapes being run over by taxi-cab driven on the wrong side of the street. The police man says. up one block; then to your right" That block happens to be 800 feet long without a break and the wondering customer reaches his hotel with curse of contempt for such an lily planned town.
 He meets you Mr. Man, who have advertised the City of Power" Hydro Electric for 1c kilowatt. He is in terested in the cheapness. How about the cost of labor" he asks. Well. you say, labor is not plenti- ful; somehow the laboring men don't stay here long. They are constantly moving out; but you can surely get plenty of help to start your factory or But MT. Customer says, Labor ing men are human. They must have suitable homes, schools and church AhVy CoA 6Sl IAGUu dlIlOSL any where" But laboring men, nova days. are seeking the town where they have parks, geological gardens. playgrounds for their children, social centers, free kindegartens, a chance to secure a modest home with pleas ant surroundings. They stay in such towns. Their wives and children make them stay" Well, you say, "We have thought of those things but they cost lot of money, and we take pride in having tax rate which Is the lowest in the state. Our people grumble about it even as 1t is, and l don't know what they would do if they had to pay for such "frills."
 Good byei MT. Customer has gone, a $25,OOO per week payroll has gone with him. $1.300.0O0 year worth of business which the merchants oi your town have lost and lost forever all because civic attraetiveness was not considered, and, If considered al all was called "frill."
 In advertising our cities we general ly lose sight of great influence which must be secured if we are. tC succeed. The influence of the wife the mother or the daughter, must bs reckoned with !; what man will iron choice make his home in a suuaIid unkempt, unattractive city; all itl commercial advantages are unconsid cred by the wife. She can only lool at the city from a home-making stand point and only asks: "Is 1t a city healthful for my children, offering CD portunity for culture, education ant recreation Think of the purehasin, influence of the woman, the wis, framing of advertising to win her ia vor, the care and expense put into at tractive packing. and artistic design