Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-16
1t Has the Goods but
Has Neglected to
Talk About
Them
Boom Maine Movement 10
Gather and Furnish Statistics

The representative of Maine cor
poration with power to sell recently |
approached a manufacturer of shirts |
in city of the Middle West to induce
him to move his manufacturing plant
to some point in Maine. This repre-
sentative had all the facts that such
men usually have regarding the city
they are endeavoring to boom, but he
found that the man he was trying to
interest knew more about the disad-
yantages of Maine, than did the Maine
man himself And to make the situa
ton even more unfortunate, the Maine
man didn't have any facts to offer in
answer to the objections.
Il can't make shirts on scenery" wasI
the manufacturers pointed remark
when the scenic beauties of the State
were mentioned. You have more
typhoid than Chicago" he sfet in, |
when something was said kbo1x
healthfulness. And that is about the
way the interview proceeded, until the
Maine man saw that he didn't have
chance to get the business. Then the
manufacturer pulled out a big letter.
file drawer and, pointing to the faetI
that it was filled to the limit, stated
that he had there facts and figures rer
garding the advantages of various
cities and towns throughout the coun
try. About all he had on Maine was
information he had acquired himself
and much of that was not advantage
Gus to Maine
The Develop Maine Movement has|
set itself the task of gathering theI
kind of information that this represen-
tative of a Maine corporation should
have had. 1t will be organized care
fully and thoroughly and will comb all
the statistics and gather statistics of
its own covering every phase of life IN
Maine, the scenery, climate. natural
advantages as regards location and|
transportation facilities raw materials,
availability of mill operatives and|
housing facilities in the sections under|
discussion, the disposition of the local
people to help, either in the erection of
shops or tenements, exemptions fronI
taxation, etc. 1t will find out just
what the health records show and why
they are no better. 1t will know about
freight rates and express charges train|
service and boat service. trolley con,
lodges, water powers and roads. banks
and farms. and, everything else thai
can possibly bear upon the question OIL
whether or not Maine is a good place
in which to manufacture shirts, auto
mobiles. sofa pillows. paper, suspend
ers, cloth or furniture.
India Paper Making in Maine.
Within two years the publishers of a
great encyclopaedia began to issue
their work on India paper, a paper
very fine in texture. very thin, very
light and very strong. 1t was such 4
vast improvement over the old style of
book paper that other publishers has
tened to adopt the new stock and 1t il
now one of the evidences that you
have an up-to- date work II it is done
on India paper. This paper has been
made in England.
Now il is made in Maine, and Maine
is the only place in this country where
it is made. Gardiner is the city Sc
lected to try out this new process and
il is the S. ID. Warren Paper Company
that has installed the machine. 1t has
been in operation several weeks and
is making good. On ii is made paper
that has just twice as many sheets to
the pound as the ordinary book paper.
The fact that this new paper, made
from flax fibres, is being made in
Maine is talking point for Maine that
is of tremendous value. With such 9.
fact to base their advertising upon
Western state would cover the rest of
the country with stories. Maine
doesn't do it that way, but it will. The
Develop Maine Movements informa-
ton bureau will gather information on
just such an advance step in an indus
try and will see to it that the rest of
the country knows about it. Inci1
dentally the installation of this and ad
ditionaI similar machines may mean
the revival of the raising of flax in
large quantities in Maine. The rest Of
the country will be told about thait,
too. That is one of the purposes Of
the Develop Maine Movement.
Missouri meerschaum pipes, briey
pipes, and clay pipes have made vari-
Gus states, cities and countries famous
but Maine has small pipe industry
that, developed and advertised, will
make Maine just as famous. 1t is
known to a few that in a small Maine
town a typical Yankee has invented
tobacco pipe that is made from cement,
1t is a good pipe and will eventually
compete with the corn-cob and cheap
brier. That man has been trying sew,
eral years to interest financial backing
SO that he may develop his proposition.
He has not been able to do SO to any,
great extent. The Develop Maine
Movement will endeavor to be of sub
stantial aid to such struggling indus-'
tries.