The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-14
TURN THE TOURIST
BUSINESS SOUTH

There are tens of thousands OF
people in this country who have
been accustomed to spend their
winters in southern Europe. There
are hundreds of thousands who in
! former years annually visited Eu-
rope as a part of their sightseeing
or vacation period. All of these
people will be debarred from the pos
sibility of visiting Europe this year.
/ The acute situation in this coun-
try produced by the war last fall
and winter has to considerable ex-
tent passed away
The grain-growing regions of the
west have, by reason of high prices,
vastly increased their wealth, and
surplus money for pleasure and for
travel is more abundant in many
western states than for years. Tens
of thousands of western people an
nually visit California to escape the
rigors of western winters.
These conditions make it pre-
eminently opportune that the south
should put forth the most vigorous
campaign in its history to turn the
tide of winter travel this wa.
There never was a more propitious
time for a broad, vigorous, unceas
ing campaign on the part of the
Southern people and southern rail
roads to bring about such a result
This will demand a broader cam
paign of work and of advertising in
northern and western ma gaines and
newspapers than has ever been done
by the south or by southern roads.
In connection with this thought
If increasing the tide of travel to-
he south, it may be suggested that
n Florida especially proper atten-
ion has not been given to the heat
ng of tourist hotels. The average
florida hotel tries TO 20 on the
Principle that it is always summer
here and that heat is not needed eX-
ept on rare occasions. This has
ept many people from Florida In ,
Aids and aged people, accustomed !
D the warmth of the heated houses
the north and the west, often find {
impossible to be comfortable in \
lorida hotels. Most of the Florida {
otels seem to be run with the idea
catering wholly to the full !
looded, strong and vigorous who i
, not need much artificial heat at
ny time. Bpt these do not make up {
lie majority of people who visit s
lorida. 1t is very common to hear a
the north and west of people who il
ill not go to Florida because they S
nnot be comfortable and because
ey suffer from cold due to lack Of "
'at in hotels more than they do by \
at home and enduring Il
no temperatures and billiards. b
Florida has a climate that is SD O.
uperb during the winter that Il Il
ight to become the great health o
ID pleasure resort of America. In u
ed, the whole stretch of southern n
untry, from the Sand Hills of the OF
rolinas to the coast of Texas, is is
zion of surprisingly attractive 1e
mate as compared with the north
d west. But it is essential that .
e chillness, which often felt in all
Is region in the morning and in CT
3 evening, and sometimes in mid ca
Y, should be. overcome, so far as as
, comfort of guests is concerned, W
Well-heated houses if the south 10
ever to develop it's tourist posi-
tiles. ca
In rather wide experience in the 80
tels of Florida the writer knows
only one where much thought and
e seem to be given to proper
'ting. On one occasion, while
n dino in ONO =, ~ ,os;. gr
the state he heard complaint made "a
the lack of heat The manager ~
that it was the rule always to 81
n off the heat whenever the y"
rmometer reached 60, and yet a va
ch-traveled man, standing nearby, is
0 had spent many winters in 20
rida, spoke up and said that even w
Ter these conditions it was. in his M
erience the best heated hotel ir III
state 'oi
)ne experience with a cold day No
night in an improperly heated ~
rida hotel has kept many visit -,
from returning.-M Manufacturers ~,
ord
far