The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-05-09
UNITED STATES LAND SHOW.

no. They speak of work we'll done,
for the figures are astonishing.
Think of 1913 per cent increase in
ten years in the number of farms.
Think of 96.6 per cent increase in
the acreage of improved lands.
Think of the great advance in the val
ue of land-519.S per cent. There is
hardly another state in the union that
can compete with this showing.
Think of what the future means to
Idaho. Only 80 per cent of her land
area is now in farm. Only 2.7 per
cent of the total land is under lrri-
CATION. OF course, there have been
few failures in irrigation enterprises
and there has been a lot of knocking
misunderstanding and ignorance.
These things stand in the way of pro-
gress. But if the people of Idaho
stand ready, at all times, to meet the
issue, all this amounts to very little.
The land show has been criticised
like everything else. We have been
told that ex-commissioner Rich once
published a special report regarding
the alleged unfair treatment which
state officials had received at the Chi
cago land show in 1911. If ex-com-
missioner Rich had understood our
position in the matter there never
would have been any controversy.
The facts were that we had told
our Mr.. Thomas F. Mahony to make
certain promises to Idaho communi-
ties that year. And he had made
these promises. We did not see how
we could possibly meet the requests
of the men from the Idaho Immigra-
ton office and also keep our prom
ises to Idaho communities.
The land show has now been back
in the hands of the officers of the
Chicago Tribune for the past sixteen
months. The 1912 land show was an
example of clean and forceful adver-
Using. Every exhibitor was a salts
fed exhibitor and the splendid feeling
created gives assurance of the sue
cess of the 1913 land show.
John H. Early of Blackfoot was
responsible for the success of the dis
tribution of Idaho potatoes at the
1912 land show.
Everyone of these potatoes was
given away in bag, containing two
or three potatoes, or in cardboard
box. containing five or six, with a
red label describing the goodness of
Idaho potatoes and the localities
where they were shown. Our publ
city department sent out letters to
Chicago grocers, telling them about
the Idaho potatoes at the land show.
We had Chicago restaurants serve
Idaho potatoes and we mentioned
Idaho potatoes in the land show ad-
vertisements. Is there any better
way under the sun to advertise an
Idaho potato than to get person to
eat it.
We believe that Idaho potatoes are
responsible for lot of attendance at
the land show We believe that there
are many women who say to their
neighbors: you ought to go to the
land show. Last year Idaho com
munities gave away some of the most
delicious potatoes ever tasted"
Ten different men will have ten
different ideas about methods of ad.
vertising. But they will all agree
that honest advertising is a good
thing. Newspaper publicity lecture
work and exhibits of products will be
important methods of advertising
when We are all dead. And that's all
there is to the Chicago land show.
Frank Virgins secretary of the Los
Angeles chamber of commerce, once
said to us: Don't talk to me about
the value of exhibit work. We have
been at it for eighteen years. Tel
us about the character of your institu.
ton. We want to know what kind OF
an attendance you are going to have
We want to know whether you will
advertise and bring the people t.
your exposition. Answer these ques
tons satisfactory and Southern Calf
ornia will be in the land show"
We want to hear from you. W.
enclose postal card but would
rather have you throw the postal il
your basket and write letter giving
your ideas on advertising Idaho.
Very truly yours,
THE UNITED STATES LAND SHOW
R. P. CROSS, GEN. Man.
For coal on ] Bond Bros. g. Co., ant